When did entry-level jobs stop being for beginners?

MY ONLY student internship was at a small outfit producing a children’s magazine out of a Housing & Development Board flat in Marsiling. It ended unceremoniously. The boss ran off across the Causeway without paying me.

While at university, I freelanced as a photographer and videographer, and even worked on the set of a reality television series.

As a millennial, I wonder how that early curriculum vitae would fare in today’s job market.

For a recent series on education in the age of artificial intelligence, The Business Times spoke to graduates who completed as many as five internships to improve their prospects.

It seems society has forgotten that entry-level jobs are meant for people with little or no prior experience. Companies have a responsibility to develop that foundation, not simply expect graduates to arrive with it.

With AI taking over some “junior-level” tasks, employers may be tempted to cut entry-level roles to save costs. But what about succession planning and business continuity?

Today’s experienced workers were once beginners themselves. They will eventually retire or move on.

Companies cannot simply rely on hiring experienced workers from elsewhere, particularly when they are competing for the same pool of talent. Investing in junior employees should remain a way of building their own pipeline of future leaders.

AI also complicates how junior employees learn. Research by think tank Oliver Wyman Forum found that 74 per cent of surveyed white-collar employees at middle-management level or above said AI now handles at least some tasks juniors previously learnt from.

Meanwhile, frequent AI users in entry-level and other non-managerial roles reported spending nearly a third of their working week managing the technology.

How can they develop the judgment to supervise work they have barely had the chance to do hands-on and independently?

As Phanish Puranam, professor of strategy at Insead, told BT: “Employers who expect universities to deliver job-ready specialists are outsourcing training they are better positioned to provide.”

Internships help students explore careers and gain workplace exposure. But a few months cannot replace years of working, making mistakes and learning from experienced colleagues.

Nor does everyone have equal access to internships.

National University of Singapore researchers Professor Jessica Pan, Associate Professor Liu Haoming and Associate Professor Kelvin Seah, who are studying internships and career pathways, cautioned that better-resourced students may “find it easier to accept low-paid placements, commute, or obtain prestigious opportunities through personal contacts”.

In contrast, the less well-off may have to spend their holidays working part-time to support their families. Their CVs may lack relevant experience, but are they really less capable?

Employers who focus on polished candidates risk overlooking potential.

Hiring beginners requires patience, supervision and investment. 

Some of tomorrow’s best employees may be diamonds in the rough requiring polish from mentors who recognise their potential.

Graduates should keep their minds open, too. As TUV SUD Asean CEO Jonas Strahberger previously told BT, the most obvious career choice is not necessarily the best.

Rather than gravitate towards big brands, they should seek organisations where bosses and colleagues “have an interest in growing (them) as a person, as a professional”.

To sustain early career talent development, both employers and employees must show up.