When seeking internships and first jobs as a college student, focusing on skills and experience over the company's size and pay is crucial. Researching the skills employers want, connecting with alumni in your field, and demonstrating skills gained from side hustles can make a significant impact. Additionally, showcasing transferable or "soft" skills and effectively communicating your experience to employers is essential. Utilizing career and writing services at your college can also aid in refining your resume and interview preparation.
In the coming years, the rise of new AI technologies such as ChatGPT is poised to impact the job market, potentially displacing certain roles while simultaneously creating new opportunities. A recent report by the World Economic Forum highlighted jobs that are at risk of automation, including telemarketers, credit authorizers, statistical assistants, and bank tellers. On the other hand, there is a growing demand for AI-related positions, with over 10,000 job postings this year from companies like Meta, Amazon, and Capital One, offering salaries exceeding $100,000.
It's foreseen that the growth of AI could necessitate the development of entirely new professions. The report identified several areas where AI job opportunities may emerge. Notably, some roles may not require traditional college degrees, with online courses and training programs serving as accessible pathways to entry.
The report also highlighted five potential new jobs that AI could create:
1. AI Model and Prompt Engineers: These professionals craft questions for chatbots to enhance their responses, and the role could potentially offer salaries of up to $375,000 per year.
2. Interface and Interaction Designers: These individuals focus on optimizing AI tools for broader accessibility and user-friendliness, especially as AI technologies expand into voice-activated interfaces.
3. AI Content Creators: AI tools may enable the rapid generation of comprehensive content across various domains, including articles, books, educational materials, scripts, and music.
4. Data Curators and Trainers: As AI tools heavily rely on data for training, professionals in this role are responsible for managing and evaluating the quality of the data used to train AI models.
5. Ethics and Governance Specialists: With concerns about biased or harmful outputs from AI, these professionals are poised to monitor and test AI tools to ensure ethical and correct behavior, potentially involving government regulators and legal experts.
Overall, the growing impact of AI on the job market is expected to bring both challenges and opportunities, with traditional roles being automated while new, AI-focused positions emerge, creating diverse possibilities for the workforce of the future.