"Throw yourself in with zealous passion," Etsy Inc. (NASDAQ:ETSY) CEO Josh Silverman told Pace University graduates during a commencement speech in May 19. Silverman urged graduates to find work they enjoy. He said over-delivering on every task sparks career-launching opportunities for today's most ambitious new hires.
AI Reshapes Early Careers
"For me, the most important thing has always been to start by throwing myself in with zealous passion to something that I liked," Silverman said, recounting how failed auditions at Brown University—where he majored in theater— pushed him toward public policy.
Payrolls grew by 147,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate slipped to 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Meanwhile, recent college graduates—those aged 22 to 27—faced a jobless rate of 5.8% in early 2025, significantly higher than the general fourth-quarter average.
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Artificial intelligence is adding pressure. A May National Bureau of Economic Research paper found that generative AI eventually displaces workers when wage renegotiation fails, though it boosts short-term productivity.
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report, released in early January, predicts AI and data processing will create 11 million roles and replace 9 million by 2030.
Gen Z is already adapting. Many are adding micro-credentials instead of waiting on advanced degrees. Enrollments in generative-AI courses jumped 866% year over year, according to Coursera. Employers are responding with stipends for upskilling, a trend Coursera says improves retention and closes skill gaps.
"I was an absolute sponge in meetings. I hung out by the water cooler, determined not to miss the most interesting conversations," Silverman said.
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"Then life opened a totally unexpected door." That door led from answering phones for former Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ) after graduating from Brown University. Three years later, Bradley's chief of staff offered him a job at a boutique consulting firm. Silverman said the experience proved that "small rooms often lead to big doors."
"Life shouldn't be full of adventure—it should be an adventure, and don't let that scare you. Embrace it," Silverman told the graduates. Those doors kept opening for him—he co-founded Evite, steered Skype, led consumer products at American Express (NYSE:AXP), and became Etsy's CEO in 2017.
"Sitting here, you may not be able to clearly see the opportunities ahead, but you will seize them, shape them, and even create them," Silverman told graduates. For those stepping into a workforce transformed by AI, it was his final challenge—and a call to embrace the unknown with confidence.
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