Entry level jobs mention AI skills twice as often as a year ago
The share of full time early career jobs that mention AI keywords stands at 4.2 percent as of March 2026. This marks a near doubling from the previous year according to Handshake data. Internships mention AI in 10.3 percent of cases. Demand appears in 32 percent of tech jobs but has grown fastest in government healthcare and education. Job postings fell 2 percent from last year. Sixty two percent of college seniors report pessimism about short term prospects.
Until recently entry level roles rarely listed AI skills as a requirement for non technical positions. Graduates could apply with standard degree qualifications and expect to learn tools on the job if needed. The doubling now sets a higher bar where even self taught applicants must provide evidence of practical use. This shift rewards non technical graduates who document their own experiments with tools like ChatGPT on subject matter from their degrees instead of waiting for formal instruction that remains limited.
Analysis
The employers posting these requirements are screening for evidence not credentials. Create one AI powered piece based on your degree this week and reference it in every application to cut through the filter.
Citation
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