Coursera CEO Advises Workers to Embrace Micro-Credentials as AI Displaces Entry-Level Jobs

AI is coming for your job, here's the one move you need to make to stay employable and relevant in the job market

As artificial intelligence continues to upend the workforce and shrink entry-level opportunities, Coursera CEO Greg Hart says today's graduates must rethink how they prepare for the job market, starting with the skills they bring to the table. Hart, who previously served as a technical advisor to Jeff Bezos at Amazon and took over as president and CEO of Coursera in February 2025, told CNBC Make It that students need to go beyond traditional degrees to stay viable in a rapidly changing employment landscape. "The advice that I give to my sons... is one of the best things that you can do is to augment your university degree with micro credentials specifically," he said according to CNBC website. Micro credentials, short, targeted courses that certify specific skills, are gaining traction as companies deploy AI to handle more tasks traditionally assigned to junior employees. Hart said these add-ons are becoming critical as firms increasingly cite AI when laying off workers. Amazon cut 14,000 jobs this year as it doubled down on AI development. Salesforce eliminated 4,000 customer support roles, saying AI can handle roughly 40 percent of tasks performed at the company. The trend is clear in employer outlooks as well. A CIPD survey of 2,019 senior HR leaders found that 62 percent of UK employers expect junior, clerical, managerial, and administrative roles to be the first to disappear due to AI. Competition for what remains has intensified; the UK's Institute for Student Employers reported 1.2 million applicants competing for just 17,000 graduate positions. "They [micro credentials] demonstrate to employers that not only did you get whatever university degree you're studying, but you augmented that with something that is generally much more workforce focused," Coursera's Hart added. This aligns with a broader shift in worker behavior. LinkedIn's Skills on the Rise report found that AI literacy has become the most frequently added skill on users' profiles. While credentials matter, Hart stressed that personality still drives hiring decisions for young candidates. "Say you're a young person in university right now, you are generally going to get hired into your first job based primarily on the traits they see in you," Hart explained. With minimal real-world experience, graduates are evaluated more on mindset and potential than on past accomplishments. Employers, he said, are looking for candidates who are "proactive and hard working and take initiative, who prove to be ready learners." Pursuing micro credentials demonstrates exactly those qualities. Experts agree. Those laid off due to AI should prioritize short, targeted training, particularly increasing AI literacy, rather than returning to school for another costly, time-consuming degree, experts previously told CNBC Make It. Demonstrating commitment to ongoing learning, they said, shows employers that the same dedication will carry into the job.

'They're Hiring You For Your Personality Traits,' Says Coursera CEO Greg Hart As AI Replaces 40% Of Entry-Level Tasks Across Major Firms - Accenture (NYSE:ACN), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

As major employers accelerate AI adoption and cut thousands of entry-level roles, Coursera Inc. (NYSE:COUR) CEO Greg Hart says young workers must move faster than the technology reshaping the labor market. Micro-Credentials Key To Staying Competitive Hart, who became Coursera's president and CEO in February, told CNBC Make It that degrees alone no longer give graduates an edge as companies deploy automation across administrative, clerical and customer-facing jobs. "One of the best things you can do is augment your university degree with micro-credentials," he said, explaining that short, skill-focused certifications can demonstrate initiative and readiness to learn. AI Job Cuts Surge Major firms have leaned heavily into AI this year, with Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) eliminating 14,000 positions and Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) cutting 4,000 customer support roles, citing that automation can perform roughly 40% of tasks. A recent survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found 62% of U.K. employers expect junior roles to be the first displaced by AI. Graduates face steep odds, with the Institute of Student Employers reporting 1.2 million applications for just 17,000 openings. Hart said employers hiring entry-level workers evaluate character as much as capability: "They're not really hiring you for your experience... they're hiring you for your personality traits." He called proactiveness, initiative and continuous learning the most valuable traits -- and said micro-credentials prove them. He even encouraged his finance-major son to take an AI-for-finance course to stay competitive. See Also: Ronald Reagan 'Didn't Love Tariffs,' Says Economist Paul Krugman: He Repeatedly Emphasized 'The Virtues of Free Trade' AI Adoption Drives Productivity Experts and surveys highlighted the growing impact of AI on the job market. Last month, A Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) survey found only 11% of clients in tech, industrial, and finance sectors were cutting jobs due to AI, while most used it to boost productivity and revenue. Tech and communications companies, however, saw more reductions, with Amazon, Salesforce and Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) laying off tens of thousands of employees. In September, Geoffrey Hinton, the "godfather of AI," warned that AI could replace workers, increase unemployment, and concentrate wealth, while companies prioritized short-term profits over long-term effects. Jefferies' strategist David Zervos added that even amid strong economic growth, AI-driven automation could push unemployment higher, with experts predicting 3-5 million jobs lost over the next three to four years. Read Next: Elon Musk's Tesla Receives 600 Orders In India, Falling Short Of Expectations: Report Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock/ A Lot Of People ACNAccenture PLC$250.500.20%OverviewAMZNAmazon.com Inc$233.11-0.05%COURCoursera Inc$7.960.13%CRMSalesforce Inc$230.54-%GSThe Goldman Sachs Group Inc$826.750.09%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs