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As artificial intelligence reshapes industries at a rapid pace, computer science students are entering a more competitive and evolving job market.
According to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data from 2024, computer engineering graduates had an unemployment rate of 7.8%, the second-highest out of the 74 total listed majors. Computer science unemployment rates were also high at 7%.
While AI is eliminating some entry-level roles and raising expectations for new hires, educators and industry professionals say it is also transforming career paths. Students are now being pushed to learn how to work alongside the very tools disrupting their field.
Students’ struggles to find jobs within the fields of computer science and engineering are something Margaret Phares, the executive director of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, said she’s noticed.
“We are seeing massive layoffs at some giant companies that would usually be a target for recent graduates,” Phares said. “For those entry-level positions, AI can and has been replacing some of those jobs.”
Phares said one of those large companies she’s seen had an increase in layoffs was Meta, which laid off 700 employees in March as it moves toward an increasing reliance on AI, as reported by the New York Times.
This not only limits the amount of available jobs for graduates, but also increases competition, Phares said.
“I think you should promote yourself as a graduate who is familiar with AI and can use it wisely and ethically,” she said. “That’s probably going to benefit them in the long run of a job search.”
UF students like Esther Olatunji, a 22-year-old computer science senior, have also noticed the effects of AI on the computer science and engineering industry. Olatunji said AI is taking over every job market but isn't "threatening" CSE jobs in particular.
“It’s not necessarily replacing our jobs just yet,” she said. “I think what it’s doing is just changing the direction of our jobs.”
Is AI changing or eliminating jobs?
Carlos Garcia Jurado Suarez, a software and machine learning engineering consultant and career coach, said the effects of AI are not making CSE jobs obsolete. AI can generate code and perform simple tasks, but with more complex tasks and applications, human input is needed, Suarez said.
As CSE students continue to pursue an education in software engineering, Suarez said learning how to use and work alongside AI is crucial. He encouraged students to develop soft skills.
“It’s not like all of a sudden we have these tools and now you can not know computer science or software engineering and just use these tools,” he said. “Now, being effective at using these tools is its own skill.”
Suarez also encouraged students to use AI to improve their portfolios by building an application or a system.
Joana Donovan, a career strategist and founder of Propel Resume and Career Services, said AI has changed what CSE entry level jobs look like. Employers are more selective, and more students are pursuing this career, she said.
“The bar for basic coding ability is a bit higher, because AI can assist with that,” Donovan said. “What matters now is more problem-solving and logic.”
Employers are looking for graduates with three years of experience and expect students to enter the workforce with internships under their belt, she said.
Donovan said AI is creating new jobs and opportunities for students, because it needs human interaction to operate. She said students should adapt and use the new technologies to be more creative.
“AI is not a dead end for anybody, and I think it just requires a different strategy,” she said.
Kyle Ulmer, the CEO of Alatmus Inc. in Gainesville, a technology company that builds smart hardware and software systems, said he would be interested in hiring students who knew how to write AI algorithms instead of simply using them.
“I think the whole number of AI is kind of dumb in the first place,” he said. “It’s not an artificial intelligence; it’s just a really complicated algorithm.”
UF professors’ outlook on AI
Professors also have noticed the expectations of CSE graduates rise with the growth of AI. As a result, changes have been made in UF’s CSE curriculum, said Ashish Aggarwal, a 33-year-old UF computer science instructional associate professor.
The industry is looking for graduates with expertise in multiple subject areas, Aggarwal said, and students need the ability to work in teams and to know how to make "architectural judgments.”
“It’s likely we will have to make some adjustments in our curriculum so that students can really be trained and properly gain skills that the workforce is requiring,” he said.
AI can bring students opportunities by challenging them to think uniquely and provide them tools to push themselves, Aggarwal said. He said he has seen an increase in students pursuing certifications in AI, and he expects that to continue.
Jingwei Sun, a UF computer science assistant professor researching AI and machine learning, said coding work can be almost totally completed by AI agents, but human interaction is still needed to efficiently program design.
The industry has drastically changed compared to five years ago, Sun said. Students are now expected to have knowledge in multiple fields of CSE, like machine learning, robotics and programming.
CSE students have expressed concerns to Sun, but he said they are excited about the opportunities AI is bringing to the table. AI will give active learners and self motivated students advantages, he said.
“For the normal students, who are not active learners, AI will destroy their career,” he said.
Sun said he is concerned about the job market CSE students are entering, adding students need to prepare. Students should use AI to learn how to “mitigate the gap” between an entry-level engineer or researcher and the senior-level engineer and researcher, he said.
AI from an employer’s perspective
Knowing how to use AI is essential on resumes, said Robert Giannini, founder of GiaSpace, an IT support and cybersecurity company that hires CSE graduates. Giannini said he is looking to hire employees who know how to develop software and use AI to do so.
“Instead of looking at it as, ‘Wow, I'm competing with AI,’ [look at] ‘How can I make AI and the work that I do much better and faster?’” Giannini said.
With the rise of AI, Giannini is looking to hire more than he did in the past. AI allows GiaSpace to deliver projects faster while lowering costs for clients. He said he looks for applicants who understand basic programming, can fix errors and have a grasp of cybersecurity.
Another quality Giannini said he looks for in employees is personable skills and commitment.
“Business optimization will be the easiest way for you to get a job,” he said. “Learn how to identify and interview a business owner and find out what their pain points are.”
Students remain optimistic
Gayathri Gunda, a 21-year-old UF computer science junior, said AI brings opportunities to CSE students, and having experience working with AI will enhance chances of getting a job. AI is creating new types of jobs, Gunda said, and it has enabled people to work by overseeing AI systems and ensuring they meet required standards.
“We should make sure AI stays as a tool for us to use and not take over,” she said.
Johnson Lei, a 21-year-old UF computer science junior, also said he doesn't think AI isn't taking over jobs and believes its effects are dramatized through social media. There are more CSE positions focused on machine learning because of AI, Lei said.
“I think the impact of AI, that’s a lot of fearmongering,” he said. “I feel like CS will be one of the last [jobs] to go because it’s so directly related to AI.”
Lei said students need to find their own “niches” now that entry-level coding jobs are being replaced by AI. Opportunities are arising too, Lei said, and studying AI gives students incentive.
“It’s a challenge for those who are maybe less adaptable or less passionate,” he said.
Contact Alabama Weninegar at aweninegar@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @AlabamaW40513.
Alabama Weninegar is a first-year journalism major and The Alligator's Spring 2026 University General Assignment Reporter. She also works a part-time job at Wyatt's Coffee downtown. In her free time, she enjoys watching her favorite shows on a rainy day or re-reading the Twilight series.
