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Class of 2025 Turns to AI for Job Interviews After Layoffs
Graduates refuse to interview without AI assistance as job market tightens
Mar. 27, 2026 at 2:49am
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The class of 2025 has seen a surge in early-career candidates turning to real-time interview assistance from AI, not as a shortcut but as a survival strategy in a job market that has left them with almost no margin for error. After watching an entire generation of experienced professionals get laid off despite doing everything right, they decided they weren't going to face the job market alone. They've seen how brutal the hiring funnel has become, with the average job posting attracting 340 applicants and only about 2% getting invited to interview. This generation isn't willing to take that one shot alone, leading to the adoption of tools that combine real-time AI assistance with live human expertise during the interview itself.
Why it matters
The class of 2025 watched their older siblings get hired at tech giants only to be laid off months later, with 245,000 tech workers losing their jobs in 2025 and another 59,000 in just the first three months of 2026. Facing the worst entry-level job market in five years, they've decided to use AI to help them stand out and perform at their actual level rather than be diminished by interview anxiety.
The details
The adoption of AI-powered interview assistance started quietly, with Gen Z workers using it to communicate with bosses or practice interview questions. But for the Class of 2025, it's become a necessity. The average job posting now attracts 340 applicants, and only about 2% get invited to interview. When they finally get that one shot, the stakes feel enormous, so this generation isn't willing to take it alone. Tools like LockedIn DUO combine real-time AI assistance with live human expertise during the interview itself, helping candidates perform at their best.
- In 2025, 245,000 tech workers lost their jobs.
- In the first three months of 2026, another 59,000 tech workers lost their jobs.
- Unemployment among recent college graduates aged 22 to 27 climbed to 5.7% by late 2025, well above the 4.2% national rate.
The players
LockedIn AI
A company providing AI-powered interview assistance tools to job seekers.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The regional Federal Reserve bank that provided data on graduate unemployment and underemployment.
What’s next
As the job market remains challenging, the Class of 2025 is expected to continue turning to AI-powered interview assistance tools to help them stand out and perform at their best.
The takeaway
The Class of 2025's embrace of AI in job interviews highlights the structural shifts in the job market, with companies increasingly relying on automation while candidates seek ways to level the playing field. This generation's response is not rebellion, but adaptation to a new reality where AI is shaping the hiring process from start to finish.
