Today’s news headlines are worrying. Youth unemployment is hitting record highs and the latest ONS figures show that youth unemployment stands at 14%, with 575,000 young people out of work. For the first time, the entry level career ladder is losing its foundation. The types of tasks that once helped newcomers learn the ropes – like summarising reports, writing simple code, entering data, or conducting basic research – are now completed in seconds by large language models and generative AI tools, leaving fewer opportunities for beginners to get themselves on the first rung.
As a CEO, I see this happening across industry and at a speed that is breathtaking. We’re hiring a generation that’s incredibly comfortable with technology, but they’re stepping into a world where they are likely to miss out on the hard-earned lessons and experiences that come from doing the work themselves. And that worries me. If machines are doing most of the work, how are young professionals supposed to learn? This practice is removing the thinking and consideration that newcomers need to improve their judgement rather than just blindly following AI outcomes.
The transition from a graduate to a leader has always included wisdom and human thinking. But today, both of these skills are under threat. Knowledge is knowing the facts; wisdom is knowing what to do with them, so building a career in tech will require building wisdom so you never have to worry about AI taking your job.
Technical fluency in the workplace is secondary
There is a dangerous misconception that being good at AI is enough to secure a job. While fluency in tools like ChatGPT or specialised automation software is now a baseline requirement, it is a commodity. If everyone can generate a strategic plan with a prompt, the value of that plan is zero.
The USP for a young professional today is the ability to see nuance where the machine only sees data. AI can provide a thousand solutions, but it cannot tell you which one is ethical, which one will alienate a specific client, or which one is strategically sound during a PR crisis.
For those starting out, my advice is simple: Do not let the tool do the hard mental work for you. If you use AI to draft a document, spend twice as much time questioning its assumptions as you did generating the text. The value you bring to your senior colleague isn’t the output; it’s the human intervention and the strategic counsel you provide on top of it.
Build your own intuition and judgment
Traditionally, junior employees learned by being around others with more experience. They sat in meetings, listened to how clients spoke on calls, and watched how more seasoned colleagues handled difficult situations. These everyday moments helped them understand how work really gets done. Now, with remote working and tasks being automated, many of these learning opportunities are fading.
If you are entering the tech workforce today, you need to take more control of how you learn and grow.
Start by being physically present. If your company has an office, spend time there with colleagues. You cannot pick up on important conversations or learn from small, informal moments through emails and messages alone. Being physically present helps you learn faster and build real instincts through experience. It’s a trial and error process, which will help you build your professional experience.
Also, focus on skills that take time to develop. Technology is moving quickly, but strong leadership still depends on human qualities. Focus on developing empathy, active listening, and the ability to read the room including its unspoken dynamics and non-verbal communication. These are the hard skills of the AI age.
Finally, challenge yourself to think before turning to AI. Try to form your own opinion first. Get into the habit of doing the task yourself before you ask AI. Then compare it with what the AI suggests. Even if your thinking is not perfect, the process helps you build judgment and confidence, which are essential for long-term growth.
Mentorship is your secret weapon
We often talk about mentorship as a corporate nice to have, but in 2026, it is a strategic essential for survival. With the loss of on-the-job learning tasks, knowledge transfer must become more strategic and young people must take full advantage of it.
At GingerMay, I’ve always believed that commercial impact comes from the intersection of data and human understanding. To the young talent looking for work: Seek out mentors who don’t just teach you how to use the tech, but how to rely on your instincts and ignore it when necessary. Find the leaders who are willing to give you ten minutes of real feedback. As the ONS figures suggest, with over half a million young people out of work, those small acts of mentorship are what will bridge the experience gap.
But remember, mentorship works both ways. It is about giving as well as gaining. Share your perspective as someone who understands AI and new technology, and in return, learn from the experience of those around you. Real wisdom cannot be downloaded. It comes from lived experience, from understanding not just how to speak, but also when to listen.
Leading with humanity
To businesses that are hiring, we cannot let the rise of AI reduce diversity or limit who gets a chance to grow. We have a responsibility to create roles that challenge people and encourage them to think for themselves instead of relying only on automated outputs. Early career roles are where people learn and build confidence, and we need to protect that space even if technology can complete the tasks more quickly.
A good example of this mindset is how we approach working with young talent. I have seen firsthand how much initiative and proactivity matters. Recently, a young graduate reached out to me directly on LinkedIn asking for an internship because he genuinely wanted to learn how things work in the PR industry. There was no guarantee of a role, but his willingness to take that first step stood out. We decided to give him the opportunity to come and spend a few weeks with us and get some first hand experience, and it proved how far curiosity and effort can go. It showed me that those who are eager to learn and proactive in creating their own opportunities are often the ones who grow the fastest.
To young professionals: Always remember that the machines can replicate your output, but they can never replicate your perspective and intuition. The future of tech belongs to those who can harness the speed of the machine without losing the human judgment element.
Building a career from the ground up today is harder than it was a decade ago, but the reward is greater. Those who can adapt to this change will not just be employees. They will become the people their organisations rely on, bringing judgment and clarity that technology alone cannot provide.
The ladder isn’t gone completely but it has definitely pivoted. The trick is that it’s time to start climbing with intention and clarity.
Victoria Usher
Victoria Usher is the Founder and CEO of GingerMay, a multi-award-winning strategic marketing and PR consultancy. A former data analyst for Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, and FTSE 500 companies, Victoria founded GingerMay in 2010 to offer businesses a truly data-driven communications partner
