The Death of Entry-Level Jobs
By Merilee Teylan, Consulting Manger
At 15, I started my first job as a part-time receptionist. My responsibilities were typical: I greeted people, answered phones, took messages, and booked appointments. They were simple, clerical tasks, but this job helped me with my communication skills, particularly speaking with colleagues with a range of experience and authority. This job also opened my eyes to what it means to work as a team and the dependencies between my work and others – simple tasks are still important ones. Most importantly, it built my confidence. If I could get hired and do this job well, I could find another job in the future, one that could challenge me in new ways.
When I think back to that first job and the state of the labor market today, I don’t see young people being given those same opportunities. My nephews, ages 16 and 20, who I biasedly believe are geniuses, talk to me about how difficult it is to find summer jobs and internships. They are experiencing the long-standing paradox that employers are saying that to gain experience, you must have experience. However, the hurdles to getting that experience are taller than ever, partially due to artificial intelligence (AI).
AI continues to reshape jobs; a troubling pattern is emerging—the quiet erosion of entry-level jobs. Like my part-time receptionist job, these jobs have long served as essential career access points for youth and young adults. They serve as a window into an occupation, helping individuals explore and launch their careers. They also provide training in durable skills, like communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. It's during these job experiences that individuals build confidence and develop professional relationships.
We’re in the midst of a technological shift that’s widening the structural divide in who participates in—and benefits from—the evolving economy. The erosion of entry-level roles means fewer people are getting a fair shot at the first step. This shift disproportionately impacts those without access to elite networks, insider knowledge, or early exposure to AI tools. Meanwhile, organizations with resources are accelerating ahead. For those of us focused on workforce development, this isn’t just a labor market trend—it’s an urgent need to reimagine how we prepare the next generation for work.
Automation of early-career roles is not just eliminating jobs—it’s quietly erasing the foundational learning spaces where skills, confidence, and networks are built. Today, entry-level job postings often expect candidates to already know AI tools or bring advanced skills to the table. This creates a feedback loop that entrenches inequality and limits workforce diversity. To break that cycle, we need intentional strategies that broaden access to onramps—real-world experiences, modern tools, and mentorship—especially for those historically left out.
Rather than accept the disappearance of entry-level work as inevitable, we should treat it as a design challenge. Forward-looking employers, workforce boards, and public agencies have a chance to shape a more inclusive economy. That includes:
Photo by Desola Lanre-Ologun on Unsplash
Designing AI to work with people, not instead of them: Prioritize tools that enhance early-career roles rather than eliminate them. At Kinetic West, we're actively exploring this through our internal AI-use policy—centering people as the foundation of our work: our team, our clients, and the communities we serve.
Expanding access to technology and training: Support equitable AI adoption by investing in digital infrastructure and public access points—like libraries, workforce development hubs, and community colleges. In Seattle, the Career Launch grant helped Seattle Colleges develop XR programs that connect students to the 3D ecosystem—and to the future of work.
Enhancing apprenticeship opportunities: Apprenticeships help train young people earn while they learn for entry-level positions, equipping them with the practical skills and mentorship needed to succeed in their careers. However, we must reduce real and perceived barriers for employers to take on apprentices. For example, an employer’s initial investment in apprentices can be high, but this investment typically pays off through reduced turnover and development of skilled workers tailored to an employer’s needs.
Preserving proven pathways to workforce entry: Let’s not abandon programs that have worked for decades, like the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Teach for America, which offer young people valuable entry points into the workforce. These programs leverage public-private partnerships to subsidize training costs, mutually benefiting the worker and the employer. There is an opportunity to modernize these programs to meet today’s challenges.
At Kinetic West, we help organizations turn big challenges into actionable solutions.
If you’re thinking about these challenges—or already working on solutions—we’d love to connect. Whether you're in education, workforce development, philanthropy, or local government, reach out at contact@kineticwest.com and let’s explore how we can learn from one another.