Rather, the tech entrepreneur believes that being nimble in today’s job market is a massive asset: “It’s your capacity to say, ‘Hey, here is the new tool set, here’s the new challenge.’ That is actually what the future work’s going to look like. One thing is to not focus on the degree, but to focus on how you learn and to be continually learning,” Hoffman said.
“The other part of college that’s super important, that you should not forget, is that life is a team sport, not just an individual sport,” he continued. “You can help each other.”
Young job-seekers who effectively navigate the new world of work—by leveraging connections, constantly learning, and mastering AI—will have the upper hand, Hoffman concluded. And unfortunately for those saddled with debt, getting a college degree isn’t the only way to develop these traits.
The LinkedIn cofounder said young people are part of “generation AI”: As digital natives who grew up with advanced technology at their fingertips, they are in the best position to leverage that skill. It may be Gen Z’s ticket to landing a job.
“Bringing the fact that you have AI in your tool set is one of the things that makes you enormously attractive,” the 57-year-old billionaire said.
Hoffman agreed that AI may make the job search worse for young people—but recommended that Gen Z job searchers use the technology to create their own opportunities.
“AI is changing the [job] landscape, [and] may make entry-level jobs harder to get, may make employers uncertain about who they’re looking for and employing,” Hoffman continued. “Then you say, ‘Well, okay, how do I use the current circumstances, the disruption, to make this better? How do I use AI to identify what possible new opportunities might be?’”
Instead of burying their heads in the sand, young people can redirect their strategy to be a hot hiring commodity, leaders say.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has been particularly outspoken on the issue; he’s a huge proponent of the idea that being an AI user is a protective quality in job market disruption.
