5 career stories you need to hear this week | Salary, flexible working and study abroad

In this week's career news roundup, we're breaking down five stories that could affect students, graduates and early-career professionals across the UK. 

In this episode: 

• why the minimum wage could rise above £13 an hour - and what that means for job opportunities 
• how flexible and hybrid working are reshaping early careers 
• why studying abroad could have long-term career benefits 
• what new research reveals about AI detection software in education
• why traditional entry-level jobs are becoming harder to find - and what employers are looking for instead. 

Find out more on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-stories-know-week-june-19th-prospects-study-tips-and-careers-a-yvxte/ 

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📜 Episode transcripts: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/podcasts/future-you-podcast-transcripts 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello and welcome back to Future You.
The podcast brought to youby graduate careers experts prospects.
Every Friday, we're going to bring youfive stories that are shaping the future
of careers, education and work in the UK.
Hot off the press and just what students,graduates and jobseekers
need to be paying attention to.
Story one minimum wage could rise again.

(00:22):
Let's startwith some potentially good news.
The UK's minimum wage could rise againin 2027,
with projections suggestingit could go above 13 pounds an hour.
Now, on the surface that sounds great.
More money is always welcome,
especially when everything feelsso expensive right now.
But there is another side to it.
When wage costs increase,some employers become more selective

(00:44):
about who they hire,particularly for entry level roles.
So if you're comparing jobs, it might beworth looking beyond the hourly rate.
Things like training, progression,opportunities and gaining experience
can sometimes be worth
more in the long run than an extra poundstwo an hour story too.
Flexible working is becoming the norm.

(01:05):
Next up flexible working.
More than 4500 co-working spaces and nowoperating across the UK and Ireland.
And hybrid working isn't going anywhere.
For a lot of us,the idea of going into the same office
five days a week is starting to feelpretty old fashioned.
The reality is that many careersnow involve a mix of working from home,

(01:26):
working in an office, and sometimesworking through shared spaces.
The interesting thing is that this changesthe skills employers value.
Being able to manage your own time.
Stay productive without someonelooking over your shoulder and working
independently are becomingreally important career skills.
Story three where studying abroadcould be more valuable than you think.

(01:47):
Now, if you've ever consideredstudying abroad, this one's interesting.
So research has found that 98% of leadersbelieve
international experience helped shapetheir career path.
And though it's not just about havinga cool story to tell, it interviews.
Employers increasingly valuethings like adaptability, communication,
confidence, and the ability to workwith people from different backgrounds.

(02:11):
What's really interesting is thatmany people only realize how valuable that
international experience was years later,when they move into leadership roles.
So if studying abroad is somethingyou've been considering, it might be worth
thinking about the long term benefitsas well as the short term experience.
Story fourI detection software isn't always right.

(02:34):
Universities are
still trying to work out how to deal withAI generated work, but new research
suggests AI detection softwareisn't always as accurate as people think.
Some essays with relatively small amountsof AI input were flagged as heavily AI
generated, while some heavily AI writtenwork wasn't picked up properly at all.

(02:54):
What this problem meansis that universities and employers
will focus less on trying to catchI use, and more on whether you can
demonstrate original thinking, criticalanalysis, and genuine understanding.
So the message here isn't don't use AI.
It's use it responsibly and be clearabout how you're using it.

(03:16):
Story five why first,jobs are getting harder to find.
Finally,
if you've ever looked at an entry leveljob and thought, how is this entry level?
If it wants experience,you're definitely not alone.
Research suggests traditional entrylevel roles are becoming less common
in some industries.
Employers are relyingmore on smaller teams, automation

(03:38):
and peoplewho can contribute from day one.
The good news is that many employers
are also movingtowards skills based hiring.
In other words,they're becoming more interested in what
you can actually do rather than justthe qualifications that you have.
That's why internships, volunteering, sideprojects, part

(03:59):
time jobs, and online courses can all helpyou stand out.
So what's the big takeawayfrom this week's stories?
The workplace is changing quickly.
Employers still care about qualifications,but increasingly
they're looking for skills, adaptability,experience and ability to learn.
Whether it's learninghow to work independently,
gaining international experience

(04:21):
using AI responsibly,or building skills outside the classroom,
the people who stay flexibleare likely to have the biggest advantage.
Thank you so much for listeningand if you found this useful,
please make sure to follow the podcast
so you don't missnext week's Curious Stories.