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Learning AI

Many of us are not sure how to use AI. This series of posts is intended to show you the different ways AI can augment your intellectual capabilities. Whether it’s a simple question or a more complex challenge, we will test AI and see how it can work to give you a problem-solving advantage.

A diverse set of topics will be covered, but most importantly, we will publish the actual AI dialogue so you can see how it all works.

Each week, we will select two of the AI engines and pose a question or a problem, summarize the findings in our own words, and include the interactions with the AI for your review.

We posed the following question to Grok and Claude:

Why doesn’t a good school guarantee a good career?”

The big finding from the AI engines was that there has been a distinct shift in the job market. The shift has been from credentials to capabilities. 

As the AIs told us, everybody has credentials these days. Not that long ago, a degree from a top school (no matter the major) would get you plenty of interviews. In fact, companies from all over the world would go to campuses of top schools and fight for interview days where they could commandeer a room in the school’s placement office and interview candidates all day.

The AI searches made it clear that employers want capabilities not credentials. They told us that what-you-studied is more important than where-you-studied. The AI steamroller is eliminating many entry-level (and plenty of other levels) of jobs. Any diligent, hard-working individual must understand the buzzword of today’s workforce: upskilling.

Upskilling is the process of adding capabilities to your career toolkit. Upskilling is now a career-long adjunct. The new mantra for careers on the move: Always Be Upskilling.

In addition to the need for constant upskilling in a fast-moving workplace, an additional problem pointed out in the searches is oversupply. Too many qualified people for too few jobs in a tepid economy.

Recent data from the AIs suggest more than half of today’s college grads are in jobs that do not require a college degree. (Perhaps this is why those DoorDash and Uber drivers seem to be so smart?)

Wow, think about this one for a minute. You, or your child, puts in the all the work starting from a young age to get into a good college and now we find out that most employers don’t care?

Remember those kids who never went to class, somehow finished high school, but didn’t go to college? They went to a 12-week Python coding bootcamp and, while you are doom scrolling job sites and making meaningless tweaks to your resume, they are getting hired to direct AI to create Python code. Ouch. But this is not that far from the truth.

Grade inflation has made the competition tougher as well. That sparkling GPA doesn’t look as impressive when lined up against 20 other sparkling GPAs from candidates seeking the same job.

Grades at classes at Ivy League schools average 60% to 70% “As” and average unweighted GPAs average 3.7 to 3.8. Everybody is above average!

The AI engines pointed out a few more overlooked facts that get lost in our numbers-first world. Soft skills like the ability to present and promote oneself have skyrocketed in value. Think about how many business interactions are face-to-face (yes, Zoom and Teams are face-to-face) compared with anonymous conference calls just 10 years ago.

How you look and sound may be more important than what you say. Crazy, but true.

I am constantly encouraging my teams to record video of themselves presenting and then do a self-evaluation. The first time I did this I was so bad that I had stomach cramps.

Regardless of school or major, internships and part-time work were also deemed as important builders of capabilities. Employers want to see that you were using your time productively.

The key takeaway was that a good credential can get you in the door, but your capabilities and what you deliver will keep you on an increasingly rewarding career path. And remember, Always Be Upskilling.

Note: This week’s AI transcripts are neatly organized (by the AI, not me) and are easy to skim through.

Things I think about

The average person will produce about 25,000 quarts of saliva in their lifetime, which is enough to fill two swimming pools.

Response from Grok

Why doesn’t a good school guarantee a good career?

No, a good (or even elite/prestigious) school does not guarantee a good career because the credential alone is no longer a sufficient ticket to success in today's job market. Prestige helps open doors and improves odds significantly, but it doesn't override other critical factors. Here's why, based on 2025–2026 trends and data:

1. The Job Market Has Fundamentally Changed

• Degree inflation and oversupply — More people have bachelor's degrees than ever (it's the new "high school diploma" for many roles). Employers now require degrees for jobs that didn't need them before—not because the work got harder, but because they can filter applicants. This leads to underemployment: ~52% of recent bachelor's grads work in jobs that don't require a degree (Burning Glass/Strada reports, persistent even 10 years out for many).

• AI and automation — Entry-level roles in tech, finance, consulting, and routine analysis are shrinking fast. AI tools handle coding, data work, and basic tasks that once gave juniors a foothold—hitting even STEM grads hard (e.g., computer science/engineering unemployment rates spiked to 6–7.5% in recent data).

• Hiring freezes and slower entry-level recruitment — Tech/finance sectors cut back post-2022 boom; companies hire fewer new grads overall. Even Harvard MBAs saw job-search struggles jump (e.g., 23% still seeking months after graduation in recent classes, highest in over a decade).

2. Prestige Gets You In the Door—But Doesn't Seal the Deal

• Elite schools (Ivies, Stanford, etc.) provide advantages: stronger alumni networks, better internships/recruiting pipelines (e.g., top consulting/finance firms pull 80%+ from just 30 schools), and a signaling effect for intelligence/work ethic.

• But employers now prioritize demonstrated skills, real-world experience, results, and adaptability over pedigree. Surveys show:

  • "Real-world skills and achievements" matter more than alma mater (e.g., from hiring managers at law firms, tech companies).

  • University selectivity doesn't reliably predict on-the-job performance (studies like Taras et al.).

• Many elite grads still face underemployment or take "step-down" roles if picky; others from non-elite schools outperform by hustling harder.

3. Personal and External Factors Trump the School Name

• Major and skills alignment — A prestigious degree in a low-demand field (e.g., certain humanities) yields worse outcomes than a solid state-school STEM degree.

• Internships, networking, hustle — No amount of prestige substitutes for experience, projects, or connections you build yourself.

• Market timing and luck — Economic shifts, recessions, or sector-specific downturns (e.g., tech layoffs, frozen research funding) hit everyone, including top grads.

• Individual effort and fit — Some elite alumni coast or lack goals post-graduation; others from average schools grind to elite outcomes.

Real-World Examples from Recent Data

• Recent college grad unemployment (ages 22–27) hit ~5.3–9.7% in 2025 periods—higher than the overall workforce rate for the first time in decades.

• Even at places like Cornell or Harvard Business School, placement rates dipped (e.g., 88% employed/grad school within 6 months for some classes, down from 93%).

• Skills-based hiring is rising (50%+ of Fortune 500 dropping degree requirements for some roles), rewarding capability over credentials.

Bottom Line in 2026

A "good" school boosts your probability of a strong career (higher earnings premium, better access to elite pipelines), but it's probabilistic—not guaranteed. The real guarantees come from combining it with:

• High-demand major/skills (especially AI-resistant ones like complex problem-solving, leadership, trades).

• Hands-on experience (internships, projects, side hustles).

• Continuous upskilling (using AI tools yourself).

• Strategic networking and adaptability.

In Florida, strong in-state publics (UF, FSU) often deliver comparable or better ROI than some elites when debt is lower and you focus on growing local sectors (health, tech, tourism).

George, if you're weighing specific schools, majors, or non-college paths, share more details—I can help map realistic outcomes!

Response from Claude

Why doesn’t a good school guarantee a good career?

A good school doesn't guarantee a good career because the degree is just the starting point, not the finish line. Here's why:

The credential only opens doors, it doesn't walk through them

• You still need to perform in interviews, demonstrate actual competence, and beat out other candidates

• Plenty of prestigious school graduates lack the soft skills, work ethic, or practical abilities employers need

• The job market cares about results, not potential

Everyone else has credentials too

• Your elite school classmates are your competition now

• Grade inflation means lots of people have good GPAs

• The market is flooded with credentialed candidates, diluting the advantage

Career success requires things schools don't teach

• Navigating office politics and building relationships

• Handling failure, rejection, and setbacks

• Hustling, networking, and self-promotion

• Adapting to industries and roles that didn't exist when you enrolled

• Managing money, negotiating, and making strategic career moves

External factors matter enormously

• Graduating into a recession vs. a boom changes everything

• Your field might decline (law in 2008, journalism with the internet, etc.)

• Personal circumstances (health, family, location) can derail plans

• Some people simply choose lifestyle over maximizing income

The wrong choices negate the credential

• Choosing a major with poor job prospects

• Accumulating so much debt that you're financially paralyzed

• Not building skills or experience during school

• Staying in geographic areas with limited opportunities

After a few years, no one cares where you went

• Your work experience and accomplishments become your new credential

• Employers hire based on what you've delivered, not where you studied 10 years ago

The school gives you advantages—better network, recruiting access, initial credibility—but translating those into a successful career is entirely up to you.

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