Salesforce bets on talent as Marc Benioff hires 1,000 graduates to build AI systems

Salesforce says it will hire 1,000 'AI-native' new grads

Salesforce launched a new Builder Program within its university recruitment program, in an effort to fast-track recent grads into roles like engineering, product and sales to work on the company's AI agent system, Agentforce. Salesforce said the company has hired over 10,000 professionals through its university recruitment program to date. According to a recent LinkedIn report, entry-level hiring is down 6% year-over-year. Some major CEOs bet that AI will cause job displacement and disrupt careers, especially for entry-level candidates. But Salesforce seems to hope to alleviate some of those bleak stats for new grads -- at least in the name of AI.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says AI won't wipe out entry-level jobs. He's hiring 1,000 graduates to prove it

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced the company is hiring 1,000 graduates and interns to build its AI systems, directly challenging fears of AI eliminating entry-level jobs. These new hires will join the "Futureforce" program, powering cutting-edge AI projects like Agentforce and Headless360, countering a narrative of job displacement with data showing increased graduate hiring and decreased youth unemployment. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has announced that the company is hiring 1,000 graduates and interns at a time when there are fears that artificial intelligence (AI) will wipe out entry-level jobs. In a recent post on X, the billionaire said his company is hiring 1,000 new grads and interns to build its AI systems. This move directly counters the narrative that AI eliminates entry-level positions, with data showing increased hiring for college graduates and a significant drop in youth unemployment. ALSO READ: Who is Chandranath Rath? Former IAF veteran and Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant shot dead days after Bengal election results The Salesforce CEO revealed that the new wave of talent will be part of the company's "Futureforce" program and will be tasked with powering Salesforce's most cutting-edge AI projects, including Agentforce and Headless360. I'm locked on, @DavidSacks! We're hiring 1,000 new grads & interns right now to ride the AI exponential. You are right they said AI would kill entry-level jobs. Meanwhile, these grads & interns are building it -- powering Agentforce & Headless360 at Salesforce. ALSO READ: Coinbase layoffs: What is the severance package US' largest crypto exchange will give to Indian employees on work visas? Marc Benioff was responding to a post by AI Czar David Sacks, who had pointed out that current data does not back the "job apocalypse" narrative. Sacks noted that hiring of college graduates has risen 5.6 per cent compared to last year, while unemployment among degree-holding individuals aged 20 to 24 has fallen sharply. "Narrative violation: Hiring of new college graduates is up 5.6% over last year. Youth unemployment for degreed 20-24‑year‑olds fell to 5.3% from 8.9%. Weren't we told that 50% of entry-level jobs were going away?" Sacks said in a post. Eligible and interested candidates looking for an internship at Salesforce has made the application process straightforward and simple. The company is looking for the next generation of innovators to help the company ride the "AI exponential". It is applicable for recent graduates or current students. To apply, new graduates can: Send their resume directly to [email protected]. Reach out and drop your resume to the official @salesforcejobs handles. "New grads: Drop your resume to@salesforcejobs or [email protected]," Benioff said. Earlier this year, the cloud software provider cut fewer than 1,000 jobs, according to a Business Insider report citing a person familiar with the matter. The affected positions reportedly included roles in marketing, product management, data analytics and the Agentforce AI product team, based on LinkedIn posts and conversations with two employees.