AI and ‘recession-proof’ jobs: 4 tips for new job seekers

Graduation season is winding down and millions of young people are gearing up to enter a confusing labor market. Employers and workers alike are grappling with the growing specter of generative artificial intelligence, uncertainty spurred by U.S. tariff policy as well as seismic changes in the workplace set in motion by the pandemic.

For new workers wondering whether we’ll have a recession this year or whether AI is taking over all entry-level positions, wading through LinkedIn job postings might seem like a thankless endeavor.

WATCH: How AI may be robbing new college graduates of traditional entry-level jobs

A spring report on hiring trends from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that about two-thirds of employers who responded to their survey said they would maintain hiring for the 2024-2025 recruiting year. About a quarter said they planned to increase hiring. In comparison, nearly 56 percent of respondents said they would increase hiring in spring 2022, while about 40 percent planned to maintain hiring.

The report, which offered hiring projections for the class of 2025, demonstrates that employers were feeling cautious in February and March, said Andrea Koncz, senior research manager at NACE. Employers are still planning to hire more workers, but it’s unlikely to be a boom.

“I think they [were]a little bit more unsure at that point about where the economy is headed, what’s happening globally,” she said.

Though it might seem tougher to find a first job right now than it has in the past, experts reassured PBS News that there are plenty of concrete steps grads can take to help make the job search less painful and more rewarding.

Here are some of their top tips for young adults newly entering the labor market.

1. Use AI tools to your advantage.

While it’s true that generative artificial intelligence technology has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few years, AI won’t be taking everyone’s jobs any time soon, said Andrea Misir, owner and operator of the Millennial Career Coach.

“It could absolutely have the potential to get there, that’s just how technology works; there’s a lot of rapid advancements. But AI is still a baby, and it is still learning how to walk, so it can’t even run yet,” she said.

Now is the time for applicants to learn how they can use AI tools to complement their potential job duties, Misir said. She suggested taking online courses from reputable institutions, many of which are free, to learn how AI can help employees accomplish tasks.

AI tools can also help with your job search, said Christine Routzahn, director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s career center. Applicants might ask large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude to generate a list of the top employers in their state, for example.

Job seekers could also consider uploading their resume to an AI tool and asking for feedback, such as: “How would I strengthen my resume for this specific role? What are areas that I am not highlighting that I need to reflect on in order to be a stronger candidate?” Routzahn said. Candidates preparing for interviews might ask a chatbot to provide some example questions they may be asked, especially relevant to their resumes.

WATCH: New book ‘Empire of AI’ investigates OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT

One caveat Misir provided: Generative AI tools make mistakes, and shouldn’t be used without careful human oversight. You might ask ChatGPT to help outline or draft a cover letter, Misir said, but make sure to heavily edit it.

“At the end of the day it is still a tool and the tool is only as good as the person that uses the tool,” she said. Many cover letter drafts are way too long, she added, and recruiters rarely bother with lengthy submissions. In most cases, Misir said, a half page is sufficient.

2. Consider looking for “recession-proof” jobs, or search in fields that are often hiring.

Many fields are nearly always looking for workers, Misir said, even in a cooling labor market.

“There are still jobs that are hiring. The volume is just not going to be there as compared to an economic boom,” she said.

Historically, Misir said, government jobs have been considered relatively recession-proof. While that may no longer be the case for federal government workers, local and state government jobs are still often a pretty solid bet, she said. Other relatively safe fields are finance, insurance and education, she said.

WATCH: Fired federal workers struggling to land new jobs in tightening white-collar sector

Health care is a solid option, Misir added, noting that in May, the Labor Department reported that health care industries added 62,000 additional jobs, higher than the monthly average of 44,000 over the past year. That can include traditional health care jobs, like in nursing or as a home-health aide, but can also include related work, such as hospital marketing.

3. Don’t crash out if your first job isn’t your dream job.

When Misir sits down with clients to help them find a job, she asks them to create three tiers of career options.

The first tier is for survival jobs: “If things are bad, like you need to have money right away, what would be the job that you could get as soon as possible?”

The second tier is for target jobs, which she describes as “something a little more aspirational,” such as a coordinator searching for a manager position.

The final tier is for dream jobs, something “pie-in-the-sky but absolutely feasible to get down the road.” For many of Misir’s clients, that means big company names and more senior titles, perhaps a leadership role, or a job they won’t ever want to leave.

As you move on with your career, make changes to the things you can control, Misir said. Keep updating your resume and reach back out to people in your network, but remember you can’t alter the course of the national economy.

More than anything, don’t try and wait out the market.

READ MORE: American labor market shows resilience as job openings rise

“Some people might think, ‘Oh, I’ll just wait it out until the market gets better.’ That’s a choice,” Misir said. “But at the same time a job is better than no job.”

Routzahn advised grads to “stay open and flexible.”

“Career paths are not linear. Your first job doesn’t define your entire career,” she said.

At the same time, don’t panic if you don’t have a job right when you graduate.

“Not having a position right at graduation doesn’t mean that your degree or the work that you have done at your institution is not valuable,” Routzahn said. Nor is your major “the only ticket to a job.” It’s a starting point to connect your skills, experience and ability to learn.

4. Find real human help.

Career coaches and college career centers are always there to help struggling job seekers. Misir, who has been career coaching for about a decade, has been through layoffs and bouts of unemployment herself, and currently works contract marketing jobs in addition to her career coaching.

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Nearly all colleges and universities have career centers, Routzahn said.

“We offer everything from helping identify alumni, [to] looking at your LinkedIn profile and strengthening that, in addition to your resume,” she said.

Career centers can also leverage networking platforms. UMBC uses one called “Handshake” that’s accessible to many universities in the state of Maryland. They can help applicants narrow down their interests as well as identify what fields might best utilize their skills, Routzahn said. UMBC also has a platform that allows users to see what career paths alumni have taken based on their major.

Beware that summer is typically slower for hiring, Misir said, as recruiters take vacation and work slows down.

A job search is ultimately a numbers game. Misir’s advice to new grads who are still searching is just keep applying, and don’t get discouraged.