For new college graduates officially hitting the job market this spring, the headlines sound pretty bleak, as AI-driven job restructuring is increasingly claiming jobs across industries. Factor in the reality that job losses are disproportionately hitting entry level positions, and it’s no wonder that anxiety about the post-grad job search is at an all-time high.

So, where will new grads go? New LinkedIn data culled from millions of member profiles has some clues about the jobs and industries holding the most opportunity for entry-level professionals—and they’re not all tech-focused.

Where are the opportunities for new grads?

LinkedIn’s Grad Guide 2026 offers a forecast for young job seekers, detailing the current market they’re facing. But it also has some important insights for HR.

In particular, the research highlights the fastest-growing roles for new grads. The top titles are:

1. AI engineer
2. Marketing coordinator
3. Recruitment assistant
4. Legal specialist
5. HR operations specialist

“LinkedIn data shows that many of the fastest-growing job titles for career starters are tied directly to how companies operate today—from revenue-generating positions like business development representative to technical roles supporting the rise of AI,” researchers write.

Interestingly, two of the top five roles are in the HR space, highlighting that the people function will continue to be a critical driver of business, even in the age of AI and automation. It’s a reality that Box CEO Aaron Levie recently predicted: “You can automate software creation; you can’t automate people creation,” he said.

Also of note, only two of the top 10 roles—AI engineer and machine learning engineer, which ranked eighth—are AI-specific jobs.

On a broader scale, the tech, information and media industry is considered the best bet for new grads to break into. Other industries most friendly to early-career talent include:

• real estate
• financial services
• utilities
• construction

HR’s new mandate

What can HR glean from the data? Apart from pointing new jobs to potential paths for growth, LinkedIn’s guide also describes a generation willing to think outside the box when it comes to building their careers—a message HR can embed into its current talent strategies.

Read the full article here: