This college major will 'automatically give you an edge' in the job market, career expert says—especially in tech

This college major will ‘automatically give you an edge’ in the job market, career expert says—especially in tech

Posted by author February 3, 2025 Jobs

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A growing number of colleges and universities offer courses and even full-fledged degrees to prepare students for a working world that embraces the power of AI.

And experts say it’s worth it for students to take advantage, regardless of the industry they want to go into.

“If you’re in a tech role or tech space, you want to have an AI degree,” Valerie Workman, chief talent engagement officer at early career website Handshake, tells CNBC Make It. She is also the author of “Quantum Progression: The Art & Science of Career Advancement in the Age of AI.”

“Anything with AI in the title is gonna automatically give you an edge, particularly when you’re looking to interview and get those really coveted internships,” Workman says.

Employers increasingly look to hire workers who are adept with generative AI tools or can build their own large language models (AI-powered systems like Google’s Gemini). Job postings mentioning generative AI more than tripled between September 2023 and September 2024, an Indeed Hiring Lab study found.

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AI skills can come in handy for more fields than just Tech. Data analytics, software development and other science, technology, engineering and math-related industries account for most of the AI mentions in job postings, per Indeed, but media, communications and information companies also seek AI-savvy hires.

‘Everybody should have a place at the table’

Since AI is poised to have an impact on jobs across industries, it’s a good idea for students in a variety of academic disciplines to tap into relevant learning opportunities. It doesn’t have to be your major — even taking a course or two can give you valuable skills to add to your resume.

“I don’t think it should just be all software engineers doing [AI education],” says Kevin Collins, associate director and career consultant for Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science. “I think everybody should be involved in this: Humanities, social sciences, the pure sciences. Everybody should have a place at the table for this.”

If you’re in a tech role or tech space, you want to have an AI degree.

Valerie Workman

chief talent engagement officer, Handshake

In 2018, Carnegie Mellon became the first college in the U.S. to offer a bachelor’s degree in AI. Since then, dozens of students have earned the degree and at least 13 other colleges have followed suit. Even more schools began offering AI courses.

Students with programming and building skills may have a leg up when applying for roles like AI architect or engineer. Those with a deeper understanding of subjects like psychology and sociology will have an even greater edge on applicants who have only mastered technical skills, says Sean McGowan, employer relations director at Carnegie Mellon.

“We’re looking at how humans make decisions, because I think that is going to be the next iteration of AI,” he says. That’s where “students with additional skillsets upon the technological ones are going to have an advantage.”

AI is still pretty new for a lot of companies, too. Though businesses may know they want to use the technology in some way, many “are trying to figure out how,” Collins says. That means employers looking for fresh graduates with AI skills also want them to have soft skills: “Things like teamwork and collaboration are mentioned more than anything else, in terms of skillset,” he says.

‘Self-taught is perfectly fine’

If your school doesn’t or didn’t offer AI courses, that doesn’t mean you’ll be passed over for jobs — as long as you find other places to learn.

“It is perfectly fine to go out there, look for courses, develop your self-taught skills,” Workman says. “Right now, there’s so much freedom in curating your AI background that self-taught is perfectly fine. Doesn’t matter how you get [the skills], as long as you get them.”

Major tech companies like Google and IBM, as well as universities like the University of Pennsylvania, offer free online AI courses. Some take just a few weeks to complete.

“Don’t feel like you’ve missed the boat, or don’t feel like it’s going to take you several months to be able to put AI skills on your resume if you already graduated,” Workman says.

You don’t need to worry about learning everything, either. For many positions, a basic understanding is sufficient. “Right now, [employers] just want to see you understand the importance of AI and that you’re doing something to gain a skillset in that area,” she says.