Bonnie Hammer, former vice chairman of NBCUniversal, shared her top career advice for recent graduates facing a tough job market. She highlighted that today's graduates are entering a transformed employment landscape influenced by economic shifts and AI, which has changed how job applications are processed.
Hammer pointed out that Generation Z grads are often less prepared than previous generations, partly due to the protective environments created by older generations that rewarded effort and participation over performance. This has led to a mindset among many grads expecting a job to follow automatically after earning a degree and achieving good grades, which she says is not the reality.
She emphasized the need for new graduates to adopt a proactive approach, including being willing to pursue opportunities that may not perfectly align with their ideal career path. The unemployment rate for new grads has risen to 5.8%, much higher than the 2.7% for all college graduates, partly due to challenges posed by AI in the hiring process that limits early human interaction.
Hammer's advice centers on recognizing that the job market requires active effort, adaptability, and realistic expectations rather than relying solely on academic achievements or assumptions about guaranteed employment after graduation.