Job Opportunities for Graduates: Embracing AI and Beyond

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), professionals like Underwood, Patel, and Clinton are acquiring significant expertise that could prove invaluable to their careers. Yet, a pressing question arises: as they dedicate substantial time to understanding AI, how does this focus impact their grasp of essential skills in their respective fields?

Underwood expresses a desire to enhance her traditional public relations (PR) skills, which her current role within an AI team does not fully address. She remains optimistic about her future within the agency, stating, “There are certain things that I haven’t had the chance to do yet, like directly pitching to the media. I absolutely plan to do this.”

This concern about graduates becoming overly focused on AI is echoed by Simon Pratt, the chief operating officer at Portman Finance Group. While he acknowledges the significance of effectively using AI, he underscores the need for a comprehensive two-year graduate program aimed squarely at mastering the trade. “Our graduates rotate across four areas at six-month intervals, working directly alongside senior relationship managers to learn their trade,” Pratt elaborates.

During their rotations, graduates are exposed to various aspects of finance, from understanding financial products to drafting credit papers and fostering meaningful relationships with customers. “They’ll progress to running transactions from start to finish,” he says.

Claire Reed, chief technology and innovation officer at PwC UK, also weighs in on the discussion. She believes that positions too heavily focused on AI may not offer graduates a path for long-term career advancement. “There will be no graduate job now that doesn’t require a baseline of AI literacy,” Reed asserts, noting that merely having AI skills isn’t sufficient. “You’ve got to couple that with sector knowledge of what that client actually wants.”