How to get paid when AI’s coming for entry level jobs

Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on hustle culture, unpacking how Gen Z is redefining work, ambition, and success. You can read Part 1 here.

During Doomscrollers research network’s most recent meeting, I asked a group of university students and early career professionals across the UK, Canada, and India how AI has changed their outlook on jobs and recruiting. 

Attitudes were mixed. 

💬 Participant, 26: I caught up with this 3rd year recently [at a top university] who’s stressing. Bro really said ‘there’s no jobs available – there’s literally nothing for me to do [post graduation]’, which was weird because he’s really bright.

💬 Participant, 25: As a designer, I live in constant fear that my job will become obsolete… But then I think to myself: when Henry Ford automated car manufacturing, everyone thought they’d lose their jobs… And now, we can’t even imagine that. 

💬 Participant, 23: Agreed.

Unless you’re on the cusp of retirement or make artisanal candles, you probably know an LLM could automate at least half your job (and hope your boss doesn’t notice 🤭). 

Everyone is concerned about job automation (52% of Americans to be precise), especially new grads. 🫣

So, my goal was to understand this: in a world where many entry-level jobs – especially technical ones – could be automated, what does a defensible, lucrative career actually look like?

Follow up – where’s the $$$ at?

Not in FAANG jobs (at least not as much as it used to be). 

💬 Participant, 26: I remember following this software engineer at Netflix back in 2020, who had retired at 30 with over $30m. He kept preaching that people should go become software engineers [and that] it’s the best, most reliable path to a crazy amount of wealth. But now, it’s like the easiest job to replace, especially at a junior level.

That sentiment seemed to resonate with the group, and I’m guessing, even more so with millennial graduates. 🎓

Earlier this year, Zuckerberg shared plans to automate mid-level engineering roles at Meta, whose current salaries hover around $200-300k in the Bay Area, a strategy echoed by other executives. 

💬 Participant, 26: I swear I saw this chart that showed engineering jobs peaked in 2019. 

Yup, found it. 

So, back to the original question – who’s benefiting from all this automation? 

A: The least sexy industries.

According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI survey, supply chains, operations, and corporate finance are among the departments seeing the highest cost savings from gen AI.

These functions may not be glamorous, but they’re exactly where AI tools are delivering real business value, and that’s where the funding and hiring will follow.

Want to cash out young? Go work at a gen AI supply chain company. Oh, and my friend just launched one. 🤑

Outsource everything, but your thinking

As automation creeps in, traditional differentiators like domain expertise and technical knowledge will become less defensible. 

By 2027, World Economic Forum data suggests that many cognitive and ‘soft skills’, such as critical thinking, adaptability, and social influence, will surpass technical expertise in importance. 🤝

Naturally, hiring practices will follow. Interviews will likely focus less on what you know and more on how you think, i.e. how you navigate ambiguity, ask questions, and make decisions in real time. 

Ironically, as social media and AI use have become the norm, cognitive capabilities across the board have been on the decline. 📉

So while outsourcing your reasoning to ChatGPT might get you through university, it won’t necessarily translate to the workplace, where ambiguity, judgment, and communication still matter.

So where do you actually learn these “human” skills?

A: Side hustles.

As the Washington Post rightfully notes, there’s an increasing gap between the skills taught in schools and what employers are looking for. 

That’s where I think side projects come in. 💸

Today, the barrier to entrepreneurship is basically zero. You no longer need much capital, a team, or technical expertise (with the rise of vibe coding).

All you really need is time, ChatGPT, and a willingness to put your face on the internet. 🤳

Don’t believe me? Here’s some of the side projects my very own Doomscrollers audience is working on – and they’re all under 25:

• 🌙 A 17 year old runs a henna side hustle on social media, gaining 50k+ impressions on Instagram in under a week (did not know #hennatok was a thing) 

• 🍑 This 23 year old has been running a lingerie business for 3+ years already with pop-up stores all around downtown Toronto

• 🚴 In Texas, a 17 year old raised $3m to build and run a shuttle-serviced bike park and now also runs a bike apparel business

• 🧑‍💻 A 19 year old Canadian undergrad student does web development for startups featured in the NYT, Tech Insider, and Forbes

In my mind, it doesn’t matter whether any of these projects are financially viable, because the skills they showcase are infinitely more important.

Even through Doomscrollers, I’ve been forced to experiment and adopt new tools (simply because I have no time) like Fillout for surveys, Manychat for automated workflows, and custom GPTs for… everything. 🫠

I’ll stop there before I give away all my secrets (Sam Altman if you see this hit the DMs 💋). 

What’s next?

Speaking of side hustles… The next and final issue of this series will unpack a question I asked the research group: when are side hustles admirable versus a bit too much?

So what?

💡 For strategists & researchers

• TLDR… Entry-level work is being automated, but not evenly, and the biggest opportunities lie in functions where AI is already driving ROI.

• Ask yourself… What AI tools is your organization investing in? 

• Check this out… Pew Research Center’s recent study on American workers’ outlook on AI by age, gender, education status, etc.

💭 For self-reflective readers

• TLDR… Don’t bet on a career path. Bet on your ability to think independently and adapt to different situations. 

• Ask yourself… Has the prospect of automation changed the way you think about your career?

• Check this out…This Morning Brew Reel.

– Liat