Ask any CIO or CTO what they want from a graduate today and technical skills still feature high on the list. Increasingly, though, they are no longer enough.
Generative AI has compressed work that once occupied the first months of many entry-level roles. Drafting reports, analysing data, preparing presentations and writing code can now be completed in a fraction of the time. As execution becomes faster, employers are placing greater emphasis on something far less tangible: judgement. The question is no longer whether graduates can produce work, but whether they can assess, refine and improve what AI produces.
Kim Majerus, VP, Global Education at Amazon Web Services sees those changing expectations from both sides. “Graduates used to be hired to execute,” she said. “They were writing reports, building dashboards and running analysis. Now AI handles that first pass of execution literally within seconds. What employers need now is a person who can evaluate whether that output is right, relevant and worth expanding on.”
She added: “The graduates who will thrive are the ones that treat AI as a force multiplier for their judgement, not a replacement for building it. We remind students it’s a tool. It doesn’t replace them. Critical thinking and judgement remain top of mind.”
Employers still need graduates who can write, analyse and solve problems. AI simply raises the standard. Producing the first draft is no longer enough if everyone has access to the same tools.
“We describe AI as a sparring tool. You should be using it to challenge what it’s telling you and challenge it on the responses that it gives. If you’re able to go back and forth and be interactive with the tool, it’ll allow you to challenge your own bias, challenge your thought process and, more importantly, get to a resolution and a solution that might actually solve the problem quicker.”
The rise of AI also changes how graduates should approach the start of their careers. “My advice is to become an idea builder, not just a task executor,” said Majerus. “For too many years, the limiting factor in technology was engineering talent. Today, the constraint is really the ideas. Graduates who can generate bold, creative visions and think critically about how to execute them with AI are going to define the next era of growth.”
AWS has expanded its investment in AI skills across the Middle East. The company is training around 20,000 people in Saudi Arabia through its partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, while the AI Nation programme is expected to train another 30,000 people in the UAE. AWS is also working with Manara, which has expanded AI certification pathways across more than 150,000 computer science students across the region.
“The access is there. The question is whether graduates and the workforce are actually seizing the opportunity to use it. I’ve been out of school a long, long time, and every day I’m learning about new technology, new releases and new models. We weren’t talking about this tool five years ago, or even three years ago, the way we’re talking about it now. These models will continue to evolve, so I really push the idea of lifelong learning. It’s not a sprint to get your degree. It’s really about continuing your education so you stay fresh and current,” said Majerus.
Amazon has also committed to hiring 11,000 early-career software development engineers, a decision Jareth links directly to the value of new perspectives.
“If we’re not able to help empower and train these students, then we lose the opportunity to have fresh talent within our organisation. These are fresh ideas. These are individuals who will challenge the status quo and ask whether we should be thinking about things differently. Today’s workforce have grown up in such a different era. That’s why organisations need to remain committed to hiring early-career talent. They’ll challenge us to think differently and lead differently,” said Majerus.
Her advice to graduates is less about mastering another tool than developing habits that will outlast whichever model comes next.
“Your degree is your starting point. It’s not your destination. Continue learning throughout your professional career because these models will continue to evolve. AI has changed not only my professional life but my personal life as well. Critical thinking, lifelong learning and treating AI as a tool that helps you think bigger are the things that will make the biggest difference.”
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