Early talent

Network Trends

Actionable data from our network of students, career centers, and employers.

Data-driven insights from the Handshake network

Key takeaways

The 2022 CHIPS Act is expected to increase domestic production of semiconductors and create high-paying R&D, design, and manufacturing jobs which presents an opportunity for early talent.

The semiconductor industry is already beginning to build its talent pipeline - semiconductor companies have increased the internships that they are posting by 40.5% compared to the same time period the prior school year.

Early talent is already becoming more interested in the semiconductor industry. For full-time jobs posted this school year, applications were up 79% compared to last year for semiconductor companies and only up 19% for other companies. For internships, applications were up 163% for semiconductor companies compared to 21% for other industries. This trend also holds for core tech majors, the critical talent needed to fill the expected skills shortage in the industry.

Background on semiconductor industry

Semiconductors are an integral component in manufacturing and are used in everything from computers to automobiles. According to government statistics, only 12% of chips are currently manufactured in the United States compared to 37% in the 1990s. Many US firms are highly dependent on chips made abroad and supply chain disruption caused by COVID have highlighted the need to address fragility in supply chains. The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act of 2022 (CHIPS Act) aims to catalyze investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity to boost US competitiveness and innovation.

A report from the Semiconductor Industry Association and Oxford Economics finds that this federal investment is expected to increase direct employment from the semiconductor industry from 277,000 workers in high-paying R&D, design, and manufacturing jobs to 319,000 workers. The impact on downstream industries that rely on semiconductors is even larger. The Act’s passage has already begun to produce the intended results, with several companies including Analog Devices (ADI), Intel, Micron and TSMC announcing investment in the domestic semiconductor industry.

Several industry experts expect that worldwide demand for semiconductors will continue to grow. McKinsey research estimates that semiconductors are poised to become a $1 trillion industry by the end of the decade. This demand will translate directly into new jobs. Deloitte estimates that by 2030, more than one million additional skilled workers will be needed to meet demand in the semiconductor industry in addition to the two million worldwide direct employees employed in 2021. They also estimate a US talent shortage of 70,000 to 90,000 workers over the next few years who will need software skills and digital skills.

This growing industry offers strong job opportunities for early talent who are just entering the labor market.

Jobs in semiconductor industry

According to the SIA/Oxford Economics report, workers in the semiconductor industry command a high wage and this premium holds when controlling for the fact that workers in the industry tend to have high educational attainment. Semiconductor industry workers earn more than workers in other industries at all education attainment levels: workers with an associate’s degree earn 65% more, workers with a bachelor’s degree earn 79% more and those with a graduate degree earn 70% more. As a result, early talent can expect to garner higher wages if they build a career in the semiconductor industry.

Opportunity for early talent

The semiconductor industry is beginning to build its talent pipeline in anticipation of the government grants that will be awarded. During the time period between September and March semiconductor companies have increased the internships that they are posting by 40.5% compared to the same time period the prior school year. Although we don’t yet see an uptick in full-time job postings for the semiconductor companies, we anticipate that we will in the future as companies carry out their commitments to invest more in the US.

Dana Gharda, Head of University Relations at ASML confirms that the semiconductor industry is entering a new era. “There is no better time than now for an engineer, developer, scientist or technician of any kind to start their career in a space where technology is challenging, demand is growing and investment is expanding,” says Gharda. “Here at ASML, we are looking for the brightest minds who are not only ready for a challenge, but want to learn and grow with us in our internship program or in a full time position.”

Handshake data highlights that early talent is also increasingly interested in these roles. While students have been applying to more jobs overall this year compared to last year, applications are up much more for semiconductor companies. For full-time jobs posted between September and February of this school year, applications up to 30 days after were up 79% compared to last year for semiconductor companies and only up 19% for other companies. For internships, applications were up 163% for semiconductor companies compared to 21% for other industries.

ADI is a global semiconductor leader that bridges the physical and digital worlds to enable breakthroughs at the Intelligent Edge. Interns and young professionals at ADI are a part of high impact professional development programs that allow them to thrive and learn from the bright minds who are dedicated to their success. In fact, ADI hires over 500 interns globally each year and converts over 60% of interns to full-time employees after graduation.

“Our people make up our DNA. That’s why we are committed to hiring great people, investing in their growth and helping them learn at every stage of their career,” said Amber Willits, Manager, Talent Acquisition (University Relations) at Analog Devices (ADI). “Our internship and early career hire program develops the next generation of talent in our communities and offers them a pathway to apply their academic skills in the real world.”

Semiconductor companies are also attracting much more interest from students who have core tech majors, the students with the software and digital skills necessary to fill the expected skills shortage in the industry. These students have increased applications 168% this school year compared to last year for full-time roles at semiconductor companies compared to 59% for other companies. For internships, students with core tech majors have increased applications to semiconductor companies by 153% year over year compared to 18% for other companies. This is a great time for the semiconductor industry, which is in need of talent, to attract early talent.

Kevin Monahan, Associate Dean and Director at Carnegie Mellon, is seeing this trend firsthand at his school. "At Carnegie Mellon, students have shown a strong interest in semiconductor companies,” said Monahan. “ASML has been recruiting talent from CMU for years and is viewed as a top employer among students. Another company, Analog Devices, attended their first CMU career fair in February and had a line of students 10+ deep during the entirety of the event."

Although the semiconductor industry is already attracting more interest from students, given the projected growth in the industry, companies and schools should start educating Gen Z now about opportunities in this industry. Additional education about the available career opportunities will help minimize the talent shortages which are projected.

Methodology

When looking at applications to Handshake job postings, we are limiting to applications within 30 days of when the job posts. In addition, students we are defining as core tech to include those with major groups of Information Systems Management, Computer Science, Computer Programming, Computer Engineering, Computer Engineering Technologies & Technicians, Business Analytics, Data Science, Data Mining, Mathematics, Statistics, Software Design, User Experience/Social Computing, Cyber Security, and Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications.

The semiconductor industry was defined as the top 20 companies by market capitalization. The list includes NVIDIA, TSMC, Samsung Semiconductor, Broadcom, ASML, Texas Instruments, AMD, QUALCOMM, Intel, Applied Materials Analog Devices, Lam Research, Micron Technology, Synopsys, Tokyo Electron, KLA, SK Hynix, Infineon, NXP Semiconductors and STMicroelectronics.

Industry spotlight: Why early talent is eyeing the semiconductor industry

Today’s communications majors are graduating into a fast-changing field. The media landscape has evolved dramatically in just the past few years, with the rise of new social media platforms like TikTok and increased focus on audio and video storytelling. Meanwhile, technologies like generative AI are poised to completely reshape the way we communicate and produce content.

These trends present exciting opportunities for young, tech-savvy communications professionals. And with a skillset that’s in demand across industries, communications majors have a wide range of options in their job search.

We dug into the data on this year’s communications majors and uncovered 6 things to know about these students and the job market they’re entering.

First, the basics.

Communications majors make up about 6% of 2023 graduates on Handshake, and they’re more likely to be women—almost 60% of this year’s communications graduates are women, compared to about 55% of the class of 2023 overall. They have a wide range of skills, but they’re most likely to list these 5 on their Handshake profiles: Microsoft Word, writing, customer service, editing, and creativity skills.

This year’s communications graduates are submitting more job applications, and are drawn to top PR firms and media companies.

Communications majors graduating in 2023 have submitted 15% more job applications compared to their peers in the class of 2022. Companies receiving some of the highest number of applications from this group include Publicis Media, Edelman, Warner Brothers Discovery, and Group M, and top geographic destinations include New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Boston.

Social media roles are increasingly popular with communications majors.

When comparing the class of 2023 to the class of 2022, we saw a 62% increase in the total number of applications submitted to social media roles by students majoring in communications. The number of applications per social media job also increased, especially among women—applications to social media jobs from women communications majors rose from an average of 3.5 per job (class of 2022) to 6.3 per job (class of 2023), while applications per job from men majoring in communications nudged up from 2.0 to 3.5.

Class of 2023 communications majors are applying to more government jobs.

This year’s communications graduates have submitted 78% more applications to roles in government, law, and politics compared to their predecessors in the class of 2022. In particular, this class submitted almost twice as many applications to jobs in the federal government, and showed significantly more interest in roles with employers like the NSA and US State Department. Meanwhile, applications to technology companies declined among communications majors over the past year, paralleling a drop in interest in big tech among 2023 graduates overall. Among communications majors, 2023 graduates submitting 6% fewer applications to technology companies compared to their peers in the class of 2022.

Internal communications roles are on the decline.

There was a 38% decrease in the number of internal communications roles created on the Handshake platform between the class of 2022 senior year (August 2021 to March 2022) and the same period for the class of 2023 (August 2022 to March 2023).

PR roles aren’t just for communications majors.

When it comes to jobs in PR, 2023 communications majors are competing with classmates in majors like business, entrepreneurship and human resources, civics and government, social sciences, and humanities and languages. More than half (55%) of applications for roles in PR and communications came from students with these majors, while about a third (32%) came from students majoring in communications.

Methodology

Application trends were based on full-time job applications created by Handshake users majoring in communications. For analysis across classes, applications were compared across users from the classes of 2022 and 2023 in their respective senior years (from August to March). Applications per job was calculated based on applications created divided by the total number of jobs applied to. We reviewed jobs with "social media" on the title for the analysis of social media roles.

6 things to know about this year’s graduating communications majors

Handshake Network Trends’ 2023 Year in Review Report presents platform activity across the 3 sides of our marketplace—students, employers, and career centers. Look back at 2023 trends for signals that will shape your year on Handshake in 2024, from the emojis you use (and don't use—sorry, 🦄  emoji ) to the jobs you post, the events you host, and the messages you send.

Read on for...

Hottest jobs

In-demand skills

Trending search terms

Most popular events

Trending benefits

Top times for messaging

Most popular majors

Hottest clubs on campus

Emojis of the year

Hottest jobs by application volume 

These roles received the most total applications from early talent candidates on Handshake this year:

Business Analysts and Management Consultants

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Office and Administrative Support Workers

Software Developers and Engineers

Data Analysts

Accountants and Auditors

Public Relations Specialists

Financial and Investment Analysts

Data Scientists

Human Resources Specialists

Most in-demand skills

Sales and marketing skills are just as sought after as tech skills. Employers on Handshake sent the most messaging campaigns targeting candidates with these skills in 2023:

Sales

Customer service

Leadership

Python

C++

Communication

Java

SQL

Marketing

Business Development

Top search terms

These were the most-searched-for terms by students and alumni on Handshake this year:

Marketing

Finance

Analyst

Software

Software engineer

Data analyst

Data

Research

Library

Psychology

Most popular employer events 

Employers used Handshake to host more than 200,000 events in 2023, with close to 3 million total registrations from candidates. The most common event formats were:

General info sessions

Workshops

Networking events

Overall, employers offered more in-person than virtual events in 2023, but virtual options remained popular with candidates:

Early talent candidates registered for virtual workshops at higher rates than in-person

Virtual and in-person info sessions had about the same number of registrants on average

In-person networking events attracted more registrants than their virtual counterparts

Trending employer benefit

More than half of current undergrads on Handshake expect to graduate with student loan debt, and forward-thinking employers are stepping up to help. The share of new job descriptions on Handshake that mention student loan repayment support has more than doubled in the past three years.

Top times for messaging

Early talent candidates sent more than 3 million messages to employers and career services through Handshake in 2023. Candidates were most engaged with messaging:

In the fall—September and October were the most active months for messaging, followed by January and February. Candidates were least active in June and July.

In the middle of the week—job seekers on Handshake aren’t waiting for the weekend to message employers. The most messaging-heavy day of the week was Wednesday, followed by Thursday and Tuesday; Saturday and Sunday came in at the back of the pack.

In the evenings—candidate messaging activity peaked between 5 and 8pm, while mornings, particularly the hours between 7 and 11am, were least active.

Most popular majors

Current undergrads on Handshake are most likely to be majoring in one of these 10 fields:

Psychology

Business Administration & Management

Computer Science

Biology

Nursing

Communication & Media Studies

Finance & Financial Management

Marketing

Accounting

Criminal Justice

10 majors to watch

Less-traditional majors are gaining traction, especially in tech fields. These majors have jumped in popularity in the past year:

Computer Engineering

Construction Management

Counseling

Cybersecurity

Entrepreneurship

Epidemiology

Health & Exercise Science

Game Development

Operations Management

Social Computing

The hottest club on campus is… 

Students on Handshake were most likely to list these organizations and extracurriculars on their profiles this year:

National Honors Society

Christian Fellowship

Women in Business

Undergraduate Student Government

Black Student Alliance

Society of Women Engineers

Boy Scouts of America

Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)

Red Cross

Finance Club

Emojis of the year

If a picture is worth a thousand words, employers, early talent candidates, and career services spoke volumes to each other in 2023. More than 500 different emojis showed up in messages and job descriptions on Handshake this year, with the most common emojis giving smiley, sparkly, and occasionally sweaty:

Trending emojis

Pets are in—the 🐶 and 🐱emojis made the top 50 most popular emojis (out of 500+) in job descriptions in 2023, thanks to more employers offering perks like pet insurance and pet-friendly offices. But unicorns are out—the 🦄  emoji showed up in fewer than 10 job descriptions on Handshake this year.

Coffee and sushi top the list of popular office emoji-snacks—here are the most common food and beverage emojis used in job descriptions: ☕, 🍣, 🥘, 🍳, 🍬, 🍻, 🍔, 🍕, 🌮, 🥕

Candidates’ most-used emojis may be all smiles, but that doesn’t mean job searching is easy—the 😭, 🤦, and 😞 emojis made frequent appearances in candidate messages this year, usually in reference to missed deadlines and scheduling conflicts.

Which trends stood out to you this year?

Did you see any of these trends in action? Is there one we missed? How will this data inform your strategy for 2024? Let us know on social at @joinhandshake or tag #OurYearOnHandshake to share your thoughts.






Top early talent trends of 2023

Over the past year, there’s been a fundamental shift in the way early-career tech talent approaches the job search. High-profile layoffs have shaken confidence in both big-name tech companies and fast-growing startups. At the same time, general economic uncertainty has pushed students and new grads to prioritize factors like job stability and benefits as they launch their careers.

Although the dust is far from settled, it’s clear the tech contraction has redefined what an “ideal” career path looks like for a tech major. Our data reveals 4 key trends to watch in 2024 and beyond:

Internet and software companies have significantly slowed early-career hiring. Job postings by internet and software companies on Handshake dropped steeply in 2022 and hovered around 40% of 2021 volume last year.

Tech majors are shifting their applications to other industries. The share of tech majors’ job applications submitted to internet and software companies dropped by more than 30% between November 2021 and September 2023, while the share of applications submitted to government jobs more than doubled.

Students from underrepresented backgrounds are increasingly likely to major in tech, but are less likely to apply to certain industries. Women tech majors submit fewer applications to tech companies, and Black and Latine tech majors are less likely to apply to roles in finance and consulting.

Locations outside traditional tech “hubs” are attracting more tech applicants. Tech majors submitted a larger share of their applications to states like Michigan, Ohio, and Florida in 2023.

Internet and software companies have significantly slowed early-career hiring

Job postings by internet and software companies on Handshake dropped steeply in 2022, and hovered around 40% of 2021 volume in 2023. Internet and software companies have slowed early-career hiring for both full-time tech roles (e.g., software engineers, data scientists, etc.) and non-tech roles (e.g., marketing and communications, HR, etc.).

Tech majors are shifting their applications to industries outside internet and software

As tech students and new grads witness waves of layoffs and declining job availability in internet and software, they’re submitting fewer applications to internet and software companies. In November 2021, more than 40% of job applications from tech majors on Handshake were to roles at internet and software companies. As of September 2023, that number had declined to just 25%.

Other industries have seen a significant increase in applications from tech majors as a result of this trend. In particular, the share of tech majors’ job applications submitted to government employers more than doubled between 2021 and 2023. Caitlin Gandhi, co-founder of the U.S. Digital Corps—a fully-paid government fellowship for grads with in-demand tech skill sets—shared that the program has now brought on about 90 fellows and is active in 19 different federal agencies. “We are really in need of product managers and designers, and software engineers to help us build things from the ground up,” Gandhi shared at a recent Handshake event. “We’re looking closely at AI-enabling skill sets, such as data scraping and data management, to be ready for that space. Government is broad, so all of these tech skills are in high demand.”

Tech companies outside internet and software—including semiconductor and computer hardware companies, telecommunications, and IT and technical consulting firms—are also receiving a larger share of tech majors’ applications. And retail and consumer goods companies like Loréal are making a concerted effort to attract more early-career tech talent. 

Manufacturing is another industry that's benefited as tech students turn away from internet and software. Roberto Guillen, who recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, was “beyond excited” to join General Motors as a software engineer. “With technology growing to touch every aspect of our lives and a personal interest in cars, I extended my search to the automotive industry,” he says. “I have had a great experience so far, working on cutting edge software and learning a lot.”

As pronounced as these trends are for four-year degree students, the shift away from internet and software companies is even more dramatic for tech students at community colleges. Over the past year, the share of these students’ applications submitted to internet and software companies has dropped from well over 30% to about 19%. Community college tech students were more than two and a half times as likely to apply to government employers in 2023 compared to 2022, and non-software tech companies now command the largest share of these students’ applications at nearly 25%.

Students from underrepresented backgrounds are increasingly likely to major in tech, but are less likely to apply to certain industries

Appealing to diverse tech talent is crucial for employers across industries now, and will only become more important in the future. In particular, women, Black, and Latine students have historically been underrepresented in tech, but are increasingly likely to pursue tech careers. More than 6% of women in the Class of 2025 are majoring in tech fields, a significant uptick from 4.5% in the Class of 2021. And more than 10% of Black and Latine students are pursuing these majors, compared to around 9% of white students.

Some industries have been more successful than others in attracting tech students and new grads from historically underrepresented backgrounds. When it comes to gender diversity, tech companies—especially those in internet and software—still have work to do; women tech majors submitted only about 28% of their applications to internet and software companies in 2023, compared to about 33% for men majoring in tech. In contrast, women tech majors were more likely than men to submit applications to finance, management consulting, government, healthcare, and research and education companies.

Tech companies are faring somewhat better when it comes to attracting applicants from underrepresented racial backgrounds. This is particularly true for tech companies outside internet and software—Black and Latine tech students were slightly more likely than white and Asian students to apply to non-software tech companies in 2023. Government, manufacturing, and healthcare employers also attracted higher shares of Black and Latine tech students’ applications. However, Black and Latine tech students were much less likely than their white and Asian peers to apply to finance and management consulting roles, indicating that those industries can do more to appeal to these demographics.

Kemi Omisore, Director of the Center for Career & Professional Success at Howard University (a historically Black university in Washington, D.C.), has observed tech students exploring a wider range of opportunities over the past year. “Our students are still interested in big software companies, but they’re considering other professions, too,” she says. “Many of them are exploring careers in the environmental science sector, the world of cybersecurity, AI, data analytics and the government sector. Students are also courageously betting on themselves and testing the waters as entrepreneurs.

Locations outside traditional tech hubs are attracting more tech applicants

The share of tech majors’ applications submitted to jobs in California, Washington, Texas, and New York has dropped significantly over the past year, while states like Idaho, Michigan, and Ohio have gained share. The growth in applications to states outside traditional tech hubs has been largely driven by applications to non-software tech employers, particularly IT companies, as well as government employers.

Kacey Gavin, a junior at Washington State University, was excited to secure an internship outside of a traditional tech hub. “Given the increasing cost of living in states like California, New York, and my home state of Washington, I'm excited to see companies doing things that align with my career path in other states like Idaho and Michigan with a lower cost of living,” she says. Kacey has now completed internships with two companies in Idaho, Micron Technology and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, and hopes to be considered for a full-time job with one or both employers after graduation.

Tomorrow’s tech careers will look different—and that’s a good thing

Just a few years ago, the “dream job” for most tech majors was at a big-name software company in a coastal tech hub. That’s no longer the case. The events of the past year have pushed tech students and new grads to consider a wider range of opportunities, and employers in other industries are developing successful playbooks to recruit this in-demand talent. Even as hiring in internet and software recovers, early-career tech talent is likely to remain more aware of and open to the other options available to them. That’s great news for employers in government, manufacturing, and other sectors that need more qualified tech hires—and it’s great news for the millions of tech majors who are discovering new interests and possibilities.

Methodology

Application trends are based on applications to full-time jobs on the Handshake platform between November 1, 2020 and October 31, 2023. Unless otherwise noted, year-over-year comparisons compare the period between November 1 and October 31 to the same period the prior year.

Tech majors include bachelor's degree and community college students majoring in the following fields: Business Analytics, Computer Engineering, Computer Engineering Technologies & Technicians, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications, Cyber Security, Data Mining, Data Science, Information Systems Management, Mathematics, Software Design, Statistics, User Experience/Social Computing

Industry classifications are based on employer self-identification on the Handshake platform. Industry groupings are defined as follows: Non-Software Tech = Information Technology, Scientific and Technical Consulting, Electronic & Computer Hardware, Telecommunications, Computer Networking; Finance = Investment / Portfolio Management, Investment Banking, Financial Services, Accounting, Commercial Banking & Credit, Insurance; Construction = Engineering & Construction, Construction, Architecture & Planning, Civil Engineering; Energy = Utilities & Renewables, Oil & Gas, Energy; Healthcare & Pharma = Healthcare, Biotech & Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals; Research & Education = Higher Education, K-12 Education, Other Education, Research; Manufacturing = Manufacturing, Automotive, Medical Devices










One year later: How early tech talent has adapted to Big Tech layoffs

Setting students and new graduates up for success in their first jobs is a critical goal for every organization. Given this, SHRM and Handshake set out to explore the skills emerging professionals need, how employers evaluate emerging talent, and what emerging professionals are looking for in an employer.

Based on surveys of HR professionals, students and early-career employees, we identified the following bright spots and areas of opportunity:

Emerging professionals are generally well prepared for the workforce. Seventy percent of HR professionals say early-career hires are prepared to succeed in their organizations within the first year.

Adaptability and willingness to learn and data analysis skills are among emerging professionals’ key strengths. Almost 90% of HR professionals say their organization looks for adaptability and willingness to learn in early-career hires, and close to 70% say emerging professionals commonly exhibit these traits. Additionally, more than 70% of emerging professionals report at least some experience with data analysis, which is a skill that nearly 6 in 10 employers are seeking from this group.

Emerging professionals have an opportunity to demonstrate stronger work ethic and reliability. Despite nearly 2 in 3 emerging professionals saying they have extensive experience demonstrating a strong work ethic and reliability, only 1 in 4 HR professionals say emerging professionals applying to their company commonly have this skill.

Interview performance is the top factor organizations consider when hiring emerging professionals. Seventy-nine percent of HR professionals say interview performance is “very important” in hiring decisions for entry-level roles, while 75% rate relevant work experience as “very important.” By contrast, only 7% of HR professionals say an applicant’s school or alma mater is a very important factor.

Employers tend to underestimate the importance of job stability in attracting emerging professionals. When asked how important certain benefits are in evaluating a job opportunity, nearly 7 in 10 emerging professionals named guaranteed hours or job stability as a “very important” factor. Yet, only 7% of HR professionals think that job security is in the top three benefits emerging professionals value most when choosing a job.

Opportunities to learn and grow are crucial to retaining emerging professionals. About a third of emerging professionals expect to stay at their next or current job for four years or more, but twice that many would stay four years or more if given consistent opportunities to build in-demand skills.

Explore the full report below for a deep dive on these findings and our recommendations for employers and emerging professionals.

New research from Handshake and SHRM: Preparing the next generation of talent for the world of work

Employers

Tips and trends for modern recruiting

Find the talent you’re looking for

Crafting a job description can feel like designing your dream candidate. It’s an opportunity to list all of the skills and qualifications your ideal applicant could possess.

One checkbox that almost always makes the list? Years of experience.

But filtering on a candidate’s job history can be more of a hindrance than a help. This is especially true when you’re recruiting early talent and tech talent, who don’t necessarily have a long job history but who have the capabilities, training, and desire to contribute.

That’s why strategic employers are moving away from the years of experience filter to focus on what actually matters most: skills and knowledge.

Years of experience: What’s the problem with this traditional criteria?

Writing a job posting without a required experience level might feel unnatural, but there are a few compelling reasons why this classic filter can actually screen qualified candidates out.

1. It fails to keep pace with tech innovation

While technology gets a bad rap for replacing human workers with robots, the truth is that technology doesn’t just eliminate jobs—it creates them too. As technology advances, more tech-skilled workers are needed to spearhead innovation.

Just think about some of the in-demand tech roles today that would’ve inspired nothing more than confused looks and blank stares a mere decade ago:

Artificial intelligence developer

Blockchain analyst

Cloud architect

Cybersecurity specialist

Virtual reality developer

And that’s only the beginning. Technology—and the careers that support it—moves at a breakneck pace. In fact, it’s been reported that 85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t actually been invented yet. These are roles that aren’t limited to the tech industry—consider finance, government, energy, and yours.

Filtering out candidates based on years of experience means applying an archaic filter to a cutting-edge industry. And, as Sebastián Ramírez, the creator of FastAPI, experienced, you could mistakenly ask candidates to meet a standard that’s quite literally impossible.

2. It doesn’t showcase the capabilities of early talent

The “years of experience” filter might feel like it reveals a lot about what a candidate brings to the table. If they have over two years on the job, they must already have mastered this skill and gained proficiency with this piece of software.

But in reality, years of experience tells you precisely one thing: how long the applicant has collected a paycheck. That’s all.

It’s tempting to assign a lot of weight and importance to the time an employee has already invested in the workforce, but in doing so, you’re only making assumptions. Tenure isn’t always representative of knowledge, skills, and talent.

It’s important to remember that Gen Z is entering the workforce with a lot of enthusiasm and know-how—but they don’t necessarily have the perspective and confidence of someone who’s been navigating the working world for years.

The “years of experience” requirement shrinks your pipeline.

3. It threatens your application rate

Here’s the biggest problem with the “years of experience” requirement: It discourages skilled and highly-qualified candidates from applying to your open roles.

Early talent is typically in the “0-5 years of experience” range. So why create job descriptions aimed at early talent that state “3-5 years of experience”? This can discourage new graduates from applying since they believe they don’t meet the years of experience requirement—even though they’ve recently acquired a degree or certificate in the exact skills you need.

When recent graduates see a bold experience requirement in your job posting, it’s an immediate barrier—and one that often feels insurmountable. Most will move on and look for employers that have more reasonable expectations, particularly for roles that are branded as “entry level.”

Going beyond quantifiable qualifications

Thinking critically about your years of experience requirements—and questioning whether you even need them in the first place—supports more inclusive recruiting.

However, inclusive recruiting is not synonymous with “having no standards.” Employers absolutely can and should have specific criteria they’re looking for in successful applicants. The trick is being more open-minded about what those standards are—and how to evaluate them. Here’s some inspiration to get the wheels turning.

1. Revamp your job descriptions

It likely goes without saying that your job postings will need a bit of an overhaul, particularly if you’ve been reusing the same tired template over and over again. But what goes in a job description if you’re not listing the required experience or a specific college degree?

The traditional approach focuses on this question: What boxes does a candidate need to check? Flip the script and challenge yourself to answer deeper, more meaningful questions about the open position like:

What skills will make someone successful in this role?

What impact do we want this role to have on our organization?

What broader team or company goals will this role support?

What career path will this role put someone on (or help them discover)?

Doing so keeps you and the entire hiring team focused more on the outcomes of the position—rather than creating a laundry list of prescriptive inputs to make it happen.

2. Identify other meaningful experiences

Experience simply means to directly observe or participate in something. But somewhere along the line, it was boiled down to hands-on work in a paid role.

Experience comes in all shapes and forms outside of on-the-job responsibilities, and it’s well worth considering and honoring those less-traditional avenues like:

Apprenticeships

Bootcamps

Certifications

Clubs and organizations

Course work

Internships

Part-time jobs

Personal hobbies

Projects

Side hustles

Volunteer work

All of those can provide knowledge and skill-building that’s equally significant (if not more so) to on-the-job experience, particularly when many offer training that’s far more targeted and timely than college curriculum.

Maybe you can personally relate to racking up experience early in your career that doesn’t directly map to what you’re doing now. Perhaps a student who has waitressing experience applies to your role, and you discount that experience because you’re not hiring for a waitress position. But that student might have fantastic customer service skills, the ability to think on their feet, and agility in high pressure situations.

3. Consider new ways to evaluate candidates

If your experience requirements aren’t traditional, your evaluation methods shouldn’t be either. Fortunately, technical interviews typically include steps like:

Skills-based assessments, or a coding challenge

Test projects, or whiteboarding

Work samples of what the candidate has produced

These approaches, on their own or in combination, rely on a candidate’s current skills and knowledge, and they tell you more about an applicant’s aptitude than a single bullet point on a resume ever could.

There are plenty of out-of-the-box ways you can get a solid grasp on the know-how of job applicants without relying on their job history. Explore speed interviews, use situational interview questions, behavioral interviews over lunch, and other ways to surface a student’s skills, interests, and academic highlights. You can check with your school partners for suggestions for breaking the traditional interview mold.

It’s time to prioritize tenacity over tenure

For decades, listing an experience requirement was as inherent to job descriptions as the job title itself. But when it comes to recruiting early talent—and especially tech talent—that sort of filter can be more of a barrier than a boost.

Employers are better served by focusing on the knowledge and skills required to do the job, whether they were obtained through “traditional” experience or not.

In the end, maybe it’s time for the “years of experience” qualification to go the way of other outdated recruiting methods, like newspaper wanted ads and faxing a resume: complete and total obsolescence.

Look at your data to understand if “years of experience” is filtering out otherwise qualified candidates. Handshake levels the playing field for early career applicants. Find out more →

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