PRELIMINARY CAREER ADVICE FOR STUDENTS

  • Read past the headline number. A 4.3% unemployment rate sounds stable, but the fuller picture is more nuanced. Getting comfortable reading economic data at that level of depth will sharpen your instincts about where and when to focus your energy.
  • Cybersecurity and AI governance are growth areas built for liberal arts skill sets. Strong analytical thinking, clear writing, and comfort with ambiguity are exactly what compliance, risk, and policy roles in tech require. These fields are expanding, and they need people like LSA students who can think, not just code.
  • In finance, your perspective is your edge. The firms that are still hiring are increasingly focused on evaluating whether AI investments are actually paying off. If you can walk into an interview with a thoughtful take on that question — not a rehearsed answer, but a genuine point of view — you're bringing something to the table that's harder to find than a lot of technical skills.

TOP STORIES FOR LSA STUDENTS

1. Consumer Confidence Is Low & It Affects Your Job Search

The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index recently hit its lowest point since World War II, driven by inflation concerns and economic uncertainty. When consumers pull back, companies tend to freeze discretionary spending and new hiring often gets paused first. This doesn't mean opportunities disappear. It means timing and targeting matter more than usual. The students who land roles in environments like this tend to be the ones who understand what's happening in the market and can speak to it confidently. That self-awareness is rare, and it shows.

2. A New AI Model Is Reshaping Cybersecurity and Creating Opportunities for Non-Technical Students

On April 7, Anthropic announced Claude Mythos Preview, a powerful new AI model being deployed through a small consortium of companies to help identify security vulnerabilities. It's already flagging decades-old bugs that human reviewers missed for years. CrowdStrike's CTO noted that work that used to take months of expert review now happens in minutes.

Here's the part that matters for LSA students: the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects information security roles to grow 33% through 2033 — and a significant portion of that growth isn't in software engineering. It's in compliance, risk management, governance, and policy — areas where strong writing, critical thinking, and research skills are exactly what's needed. If you've been wondering whether there's a lane for a non-CS major in tech, this is one worth exploring.

3. Tech Is Reshaping, Not Just Shrinking

About 78,500 tech workers have been laid off so far in 2026, and a large share of those cuts are tied to AI replacing specific task-heavy roles, like Tier 1 customer support, manual quality testing, and some entry-level software work.

But here's the other side of that story: AI and machine learning job postings on LinkedIn are up 34% year over year, even as overall tech postings dip. The industry is still hiring, just for different things. Roles focused on AI strategy, governance, ethics, communication, and implementation are growing. This is a pivot moment, not a shutdown. Students who start building familiarity with AI tools and their implications now will be ahead of the curve.

4. Finance Is Tighter at the Entry Level — But It's Not Closed

The finance sector has lost around 77,000 jobs since May 2025, and entry-level pipelines are leaner than they've been in recent years. Even firms posting strong profits (Goldman Sachs just reported its second-highest quarterly profit ever)  have still been trimming headcount.

If you're recruiting into finance, this is useful to know going in. The students standing out right now are the ones who understand why the industry is changing — specifically, how AI is reshaping back-office functions that have historically been entry-level territory. Walking into an interview with a clear, informed perspective on that transition will differentiate you more than most credentials at this stage.

5. The Federal Government Just Opened a Dedicated Early-Career Portal

This one is genuinely good news: the Office of Personnel Management launched EarlyCareers.gov, a centralized hub for federal early-career hiring across five tracks: human resources, finance, engineering, project management, and procurement.

OPM Director Scott Kupor pointed out that only 7% of the federal workforce is under 30, compared to 22% in the private sector, and called the federal government "massively under-indexed on early career talent." The Department of Veterans Affairs is also ramping up hiring with a goal of a 30-day time-to-hire turnaround. For students interested in public service, healthcare administration, data, or policy, these are some of the most accessible open doors in the current market.

 

Sources: BLS Employment Situation Summary, University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, BLS CPI, Anthropic, CrowdStrike, BLS Occupational Outlook, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Nikkei Asia, LinkedIn Economic Graph, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Federal News Network, OPM, FEDmanager, Navy Federal Credit Union.

For personalized advice, schedule a Hub Industry Advising appointment with one of the Hub's Employer Relations Managers:

Business & Tech: Justine Ezell
Nonprofit, Government & Arts: Isaac Messeder
Health & Sciences: Coty Pyscher