Return-on-investment (ROI) is a hot button topic for college graduates entering the workforce. Yet, according to CNBC, the job market builds pressures for 2025 becoming the toughest in a decade. College graduates also are dealing with the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI). This poses a threat to most entry level jobs, because companies and employers see AI as an opportunity to reduce cost and improve efficiency.

So, what does this mean for the 2026 job market? For the budding anthropologist fresh out of undergraduate studies, it can and will affect them, as 2025 saw a reduction of white-collar jobs.

A critical strategy for practicing anthropologists entering the job market nowadays involves interdisciplinary knowledge and skills outside academia. I would see it as beating AI at its own game. In this age of AI, it is imperative for undergraduates to develop interdisciplinary knowledge to stand out in the job market. I define “skill” as broadly as possible because ultimately, the crux of the issue is about appearing more valuable than AI in its current form.

I discovered the importance of interdisciplinary exposure with my undergraduate case study into AI and its application in museums, historical societies, and small cultural organizations. First, I undertook fieldwork with the Non-Profit Cultural Organization Network (NPCON) to work with its partner organizations, mostly located around the San Fernando Valley in California. I learned much more than what I studied in my courses. From these meetings I attended, I discovered that the greatest concerns these organizations have revolved around nearly every aspect of museum management and operations. These included: (1) post-COVID recovery and economic issues pertaining to maintenance; 2) preparation for natural disasters, and; (3) funding support, grant writing, volunteer work, legal concerns, curation, education, and outreach.

Second, in 2024, I began researching the use of technology for applied anthropology course focusing on AI—specifically, machine-learning (ML) and large language models (LLM)—tools that have become synonymous with AI in the public sphere. Third, some later addendums to my study included AI use in museums, including examples of: (1) optical character recognition (OCR) tools used for archiving, cataloging and data management; (2) chatbots and “gamified” AI to increase visitor engagement; (3) future exhibit predictions that enhance the visitor experience, and; (4) art restoration through generative AI.

I learned that uncertainty and limited resources affect both organizations and anthropologists alike. With this understanding, we can see why AI is viewed as the answer to potential organizational issues surrounding limited staff and financial difficulties. Anthropologists will need to be able to multi-task despite ever present challenges. For anthropologists seeking employment today, the need for a broader knowledge and skill base beyond anthropological theory and research is paramount.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, anthropologists should expect a four percent employment growth within the next 10 years—given consumer demand within specific cultural groups and the need for improved market analyses. However, we cannot discount the effects of AI on anthropology, which is why becoming a “one-stop shop” can give prospective students the edge they need to succeed over AI.

How should students go about accomplishing this? Networking would be the first step. Talk to your professors and engage with others in your classes. Similarly, go to as many anthropology events as you can and strike up focused conversations. It is, in my experience, many of the best ways to learn about jobs, internships, and volunteer work in the field.

Another angle I would suggest is to take classes that are not specific to anthropology. To use myself as an example: I pursued journalism, audio production, and STEM classes before transferring to California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for anthropology. Before transferring, I knew the skills I picked up as a journalist and radio news broadcaster would serve me well, but I had no clue how my other specific skills would translate. Eventually, as I volunteered for projects at CSUN, my additional skills allowed me to realize project goals, and I was seen as valuable to the team. It has allowed me to find opportunities I would have never thought possible if I had just stuck to my anthropology coursework. What I am saying is to combine your interests with your learning in Anthropology. There will be a day where your specific niche will be incredibly valuable from the start to the completion of a project; you will stand out.

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