AI Took My Entry-Level Job, Return-to-Office Is Back, and the Hidden Cost of Efficiency

In this episode of A Word With Yourself, we unpack the shrinking world of entry-level jobs thanks to AI—and why that might be a bigger problem than it seems. We talk about the value of "grunt work," how junior roles are often where you learn the most, and what happens when the intern is ChatGPT.

We also dive into the increase in return-to-office mandates, companies justifying it with identical corporate jargon, and why trades might be making a comeback. Plus, a bizarre-but-true story about a sausage factory, a man named Jim (not his real name), and the hidden cost of chasing efficiency.

Timestamps

0.00 - 3.18: General catch-up

3.19 - 18.45 : AI and the future of entry-level jobs

18.45 - 22.36: More return-to-office mandates

22.36 - end: The hidden cost of efficiency, ft. a Chicago sausage factory