The Entry-Level Hiring Process Is Breaking Down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/grade-inflation-ai-hiring/685157/

Article that brings up AI & grade inflation as reasons for the difficulty in hiring recent grads. Some interesting anecdotes on how employers are differentiating recent graduates.

Grade inflation? Since when have companies started checking or caring about grades. And why? Academic performance is nothing like a corporate job.

Some care. I don't hire kids with Cs in calculus and physics for engineering positions.

Do you care if the C was caused by illness and a prof who didn't care, not ability?

A clear example of how parents are raising coddle children.

You think an employer is going to take the time to interview the C kid to ever even hear why they got a C? On top of which, even if the kid has the opportunity to explain, it is a red flag for what that person as an employee would be like. Always having an excuse as to why it isn't their fault for underperforming.

I'm pp, and that's a hiring problem. DS went to a famously hard math school (where many, including business students, flunk courses). If they were recruiting there and see a C over an A at a local community college, they might not realize that the student didn't even opt to take the much harder class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS had to do a dozen asynchronous interviews after recruiters reached out to him at his T20 and then got ghosted. The problem lies in the corporations -- who don't know how to recruit and actually spend time to talking to potential candidates.

Got it. It isn't a problem with the candidates. It's a problem with the corporations "who don't know how to recruit." You must be one of those parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS had to do a dozen asynchronous interviews after recruiters reached out to him at his T20 and then got ghosted. The problem lies in the corporations -- who don't know how to recruit and actually spend time to talking to potential candidates.

Got it. It isn't a problem with the candidates. It's a problem with the corporations "who don't know how to recruit." You must be one of those parents.

LOL. Sure, do your asynchronous interviews and see how far that gets you. Waste of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/grade-inflation-ai-hiring/685157/

Article that brings up AI & grade inflation as reasons for the difficulty in hiring recent grads. Some interesting anecdotes on how employers are differentiating recent graduates.

Grade inflation? Since when have companies started checking or caring about grades. And why? Academic performance is nothing like a corporate job.

Some care. I don't hire kids with Cs in calculus and physics for engineering positions.

Do you care if the C was caused by illness and a prof who didn't care, not ability?

A clear example of how parents are raising coddle children.

You think an employer is going to take the time to interview the C kid to ever even hear why they got a C? On top of which, even if the kid has the opportunity to explain, it is a red flag for what that person as an employee would be like. Always having an excuse as to why it isn't their fault for underperforming.

I'm pp, and that's a hiring problem. DS went to a famously hard math school (where many, including business students, flunk courses). If they were recruiting there and see a C over an A at a local community college, they might not realize that the student didn't even opt to take the much harder class.

Not sure business majors should be the benchmark. Now if you would have said engineering, physics, etc...

[Anonymous]

This conversation can’t really go anywhere, because the instant a parent says, “yes, there is an issue here,” others will assume Snowplow Parent Who Didn’t Prepare Child Well Enough, and/or Loser Gen Z kid.

We humans are funny. We reassure ourselves with narratives that can be tolerated psychologically even as the ground shifts beneath our feet.

But folks, the ground of our whole society is shifting. Can you feel it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/grade-inflation-ai-hiring/685157/

Article that brings up AI & grade inflation as reasons for the difficulty in hiring recent grads. Some interesting anecdotes on how employers are differentiating recent graduates.

Grade inflation? Since when have companies started checking or caring about grades. And why? Academic performance is nothing like a corporate job.

You aren’t getting an interview at a Big 4 accounting firm with a 3.0. It’s their first cutoff when scanning resumes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/grade-inflation-ai-hiring/685157/

Article that brings up AI & grade inflation as reasons for the difficulty in hiring recent grads. Some interesting anecdotes on how employers are differentiating recent graduates.

Grade inflation? Since when have companies started checking or caring about grades. And why? Academic performance is nothing like a corporate job.

Some care. I don't hire kids with Cs in calculus and physics for engineering positions.

Do you care if the C was caused by illness and a prof who didn't care, not ability?

Even when I graduated 20 years ago the career center would have tiers of jobs that people could apply for. The most selective of employers required a minimum of 3.75 GPA, then 3.5 then 3.0 then everyone else.

Nobody was getting interviews if they had C s. Maybe if you impressed a recruiter at a career fair or meet and greet at a bar you might get a second look but they would have stacks of resumes and there were probably dozens of kids who had A’s in all their math classes. What would be the point of figuring out if the C kid was worthwhile? Nobody has infinite time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This conversation can’t really go anywhere, because the instant a parent says, “yes, there is an issue here,” others will assume Snowplow Parent Who Didn’t Prepare Child Well Enough, and/or Loser Gen Z kid.

We humans are funny. We reassure ourselves with narratives that can be tolerated psychologically even as the ground shifts beneath our feet.

But folks, the ground of our whole society is shifting. Can you feel it?

What are you saying? That corporations need to start interviewing the C kids now? Because parents don't want their kids to suffer or have to learn grit. So corporations need to suck it up and higher these snowflakes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS had to do a dozen asynchronous interviews after recruiters reached out to him at his T20 and then got ghosted. The problem lies in the corporations -- who don't know how to recruit and actually spend time to talking to potential candidates.

This jumped the shark. Th process goes like this: Lots of video interviews -> reviewed by recruiters -> 10 advanced to live interviews -> 2 got hired. If your son had landed a job you’d be on here proclaiming the efficiency of the process. The corporations know exactly what they are doing. If your kid flunked a bunch of interviews that’s not on the corporations that’s on your kid. Did he wear a suit clean up his background or room or blur the background use headphones ensure a quiet distraction free room prep his answer in advance rehearse it comb his hair shave his face etc etc. anything and I mean anything could have knocked him out of the process if he was stellar in the asynchronous process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation can’t really go anywhere, because the instant a parent says, “yes, there is an issue here,” others will assume Snowplow Parent Who Didn’t Prepare Child Well Enough, and/or Loser Gen Z kid.

We humans are funny. We reassure ourselves with narratives that can be tolerated psychologically even as the ground shifts beneath our feet.

But folks, the ground of our whole society is shifting. Can you feel it?

What are you saying? That corporations need to start interviewing the C kids now? Because parents don't want their kids to suffer or have to learn grit. So corporations need to suck it up and higher these snowflakes?

Ahh, there it is.

And nope, not what I'm saying at all. Not remotely. Have a good night.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid who is at one of the "big 4 consulting forms"

Only about 2/3 of the 2024 summer class were given return offers.

To date, those kids have not yet started and were told they might start in January, but if they have other opportunities, they should take them.

There were only about 20 2025 summer interns. In my kid's class, there were 60. Only 5 of those 20 were given return offers, but with no starting date.

That is one firm in one city, but it is illustrative what is happening in consulting. I assume the other comparable firms are about the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid who is at one of the "big 4 consulting forms"

Only about 2/3 of the 2024 summer class were given return offers.

To date, those kids have not yet started and were told they might start in January, but if they have other opportunities, they should take them.

There were only about 20 2025 summer interns. In my kid's class, there were 60. Only 5 of those 20 were given return offers, but with no starting date.

That is one firm in one city, but it is illustrative what is happening in consulting. I assume the other comparable firms are about the same.

The same sh*t happened when I graduated in the early 2000s. This is not a new phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid who is at one of the "big 4 consulting forms"

Only about 2/3 of the 2024 summer class were given return offers.

To date, those kids have not yet started and were told they might start in January, but if they have other opportunities, they should take them.

There were only about 20 2025 summer interns. In my kid's class, there were 60. Only 5 of those 20 were given return offers, but with no starting date.

That is one firm in one city, but it is illustrative what is happening in consulting. I assume the other comparable firms are about the same.

The same sh*t happened when I graduated in the early 2000s. This is not a new phenomenon.

eVeRYthInG iS nOrMaL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid who is at one of the "big 4 consulting forms"

Only about 2/3 of the 2024 summer class were given return offers.

To date, those kids have not yet started and were told they might start in January, but if they have other opportunities, they should take them.

There were only about 20 2025 summer interns. In my kid's class, there were 60. Only 5 of those 20 were given return offers, but with no starting date.

That is one firm in one city, but it is illustrative what is happening in consulting. I assume the other comparable firms are about the same.

I think consulting is going to be decimated over the next 3 years. Ai is totally coming for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/grade-inflation-ai-hiring/685157/

Article that brings up AI & grade inflation as reasons for the difficulty in hiring recent grads. Some interesting anecdotes on how employers are differentiating recent graduates.

Grade inflation? Since when have companies started checking or caring about grades. And why? Academic performance is nothing like a corporate job.

Some care. I don't hire kids with Cs in calculus and physics for engineering positions.

Do you care if the C was caused by illness and a prof who didn't care, not ability?

Many students have multiple class days and a midterm delayed by flu, mono, sports injury requiring surgery and still manage at least an A- if not an A. For long term illness one withdraws. Short term illness does not lead to Cs in capable students.