New college graduates are no longer just battling each other to land a job. Their competition now includes companies investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) instead of hiring.
“So what our survey found was they they were having a hard time with work ethic, professionalism and motivation from new grads. And so I think that’s why they’re starting to look to AI,” Julia Toothacre, chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com.
ResumeTemplates.com surveyed 1,000 hiring managers at companies with 101 ore more employees in May 2026.
Their survey found 35% of hiring managers said they don’t plane to hire as many new college graduates in 2026. 65% of technology managers said they would rather invest in AI than hire a 2026 college graduate.
“We are getting those students who are struggling to find jobs, especially some industries. Computer science is right now a really tough one, because that is more exposed to AI,” said Evan Heiser, director of Career and Experiential Education at Western Michigan University (WMU).
Evan Heiser is the Senior Director of Career and Experiential Education at Western Michigan University.
Heiser works with WMU students to help them get experience before they enter the workforce. Heiser says building connections has always been important, but perhaps even more so now with the way AI is impacting the job market.
“Yes, there are fewer jobs out there, but then also anytime there’s layoffs in industries and those big companies are laying off, they are now competing against someone who has full-time experience. So those internships become even more important,” said Heiser.
2026 WMU graduate Grace Mulock turned an internship at the Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes food pantry into a full-time job as a Communications Assistant there, often working on social media.
Western Michigan University gradate Grace Mulock c/o 2026. (Grace Mulock/WWMT)
“I think there’s an overall understanding that the job market is kind of hard right now and AI is definitely not helping,” said Mulock, a business school graduate.
Fellow May 2026 WMU business school graduate Dylan Carper is working in finance. He thinks embracing AI helped him land a job.
“You stand out in the job interview process, because if you’re able to use AI officially to make you better at your job, you’re gonna stand out a lot more compared to others who don’t really use AI,” said Carper.
Hannah Johnston graduated in May 2026 with a degree in Graphic Design from WMU. Johnston now works at Kzoom, a Kalamazoo based marketing company. Johnston thinks expressing an interest in taking an unpaid internship with the company, even though she never actually interned, may have helped her get a job.
Hannah Johnston, a 2026 WMU graduate, is a graphic designer at Kzoom, a Kalamazoo based marketing company.
“I got to be brought in for an interview and then another one and it was like two weeks later, that I was able to get the job,” said Johnston.