The Artificial Intelligence market is valued at over $136 billion currently and is set to rise to $309.6 billion by 2026. Executives believe nearly half of the skills that exist in today’s workforce won’t be relevant just two years from now, thanks to artificial intelligence. The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, stated in March 2024, "AI will handle 95% of what marketers use agencies, strategists and creative professionals for today." As Universities continue to invest in tools and platforms that flag and penalize students for using AI in the classroom setting, the reality is that there is a major disconnect with the skills being taught and the ones that will actually be relevant two years from now.

Given the challenges students are facing around the world, the question now becomes "how do I maximize my experience and make the most of it despite the inherent shortcomings at Colleges / Universities in 2026." I'll never forget when I signed up for a New Media Drivers License and Digital Monetization through Digital Media Planning & Buying course in 2012 and even an online Wine Tasting, Intro to Hospitality Business and International History of Music course too. I wanted to take an Intro to Business Golf class as well, however, every time I told my parents the classes I selected, their response was "how is this going to translate to the real world, you aren't making a smart decision?" With half the skills that exist in today's workforce likely not being relevant in just two years from now, there's a generational shift happening and those who resist change and are not open minded will be left behind (the learning: be cautious with the advice you receive from your parents despite how well intentioned they may be). It's important to note looking ahead, not everyone will lose their job to AI but they will lose their job to someone who knows how to use AI and someone who knows how to predict market shifts and inherent trends.

(Image Source Via Michigan State University: The New Media Drivers License)

The New Media Drivers License and Digital Monetization courses which were taught by some of the top executives at Google have given me a competitive edge in the real world still relevant today. My university (Michigan State) also offered a YouTube Generation - Creation, curating and distribution of commercial video content online course a year after I graduated and what I found fascinating is that those in the class were being groomed to step into entry level roles at Google and other similar companies. At the end of the course, one of the professors told us they tracked how far in advance we completed each task ahead of the submission deadline to identify those who procrastinate and those who are organized and on top of things (in case they were interested in extending an offer to you at Google).

There's a Steve Jobs quote from his 2005 Stanford commencement address:

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever."

The online wine tasting class I registered for helped lead me (to just 2 years after graduating) landing a job at WME | IMG and managing a partnership with Sonoma County Vintners (a collective of around 60 wineries) where we partnered with high profile and celebrity chefs (including Charlie Palmer Group & James Beard Foundation) to host multi-course winemaker dinners throughout the US for clients across banking, airlines and hotels. The Intro to Hospitality Business class led to me working with the Luxury Hotel Collection, a global portfolio of 700+ properties worldwide, creating custom offers to promote to Visa Signature and Visa Infinite cardholders. The International History of Music course led to creating an International Roots and Latin Heritage Month playlist which features special player songs, poems and recordings. The playlist was distributed to 500,000+ people throughout the Bay Area and aired in the 90 minutes leading up to kick-off at our games for example against FC Juárez and Club Atlético Zacatepec from Mexico. And that Intro to Business Golf class which I wanted to take, would've had relevance to the multiple times I led the Pebble Beach Golf Getaway for Southwest Airlines and on one of the days their CMO asked me to play a round with him and his family. At the time, I told him I appreciated the offer and was busy with work but the real truth is that I wasn't so confident in my golf skills and didn't want to look bad. Is the Steve Jobs quote ringing yet?

“The benefits of studying abroad are almost endless” - Michelle Obama

Another way you can consider making the most of your College / University experience is participating in a Study Abroad program. Some of the programs offer scholarships as well (I received one) and I ended up joining the International Comparative Dimensions of Business and Marketing in France, Spain and Belgium. We worked with local and global companies to develop strategic campaigns for target markets in the European Union and I'll never forget one of the most importance pieces of advice I received from my professor. He displayed a spreadsheet which illustrated the power of investing early on in your career, saving money and compound interest. Although the program was accelerated to just over 1 month, this allowed me to also participate in a volunteer program in Guatemala and land a full summer internship as well. There's been countless times in interviews when I was asked about my experiences abroad and this is definitely a talking point that continues to stand out on my resume.

(Image Source Via Tony Robbins: Time To Rise Summit)

In addition, the summer internship I was able to land came as a result of two factors: 1. the Study Abroad program, as two of the employees were in the program as well and they referred me internally 2. the MSU Marketing Mix program which is an organization that matches College of Business students up to consult with real world companies in order to gain first-hand marketing experience. After one semester, the President of the company was impressed with the work I produced and hired me on as Director of Brand Strategy and Communications. I ended up working there for a year and a half while balancing being a full-time student and upon graduation received a Letter of Recommendation which would help me land my next couple of jobs.

Additional curricular groups I joined were the MSU Marketing Association and FLISE (Future Leaders In Sports & Entertainment). Employers like to see ways you're going above and beyond, growing your network and gaining new perspectives. After every guest speaker presentation, I would hurry up to the front to express my gratitude for their presentation, share a couple of quick points as to what I learned and ask them for their business card so we could keep in touch and I can add them on LinkedIn to stay connected. As a College / University student you should aim to have 500+ meaningful connections on LinkedIn to help establish credibility. This approach led me to my first corporate job upon graduation. The Global CEO of Vision Critical (now called Alida) was presenting and I looked up the company beforehand and noticed they had an office in San Francisco (the #1 city on my target list). At the end of the presentation, I let the Global CEO know why I would be interested in working for the company and asked if there were any intern or entry level positions I could apply for in the San Francisco office. This person could tell I did my research and gave me their business card and said they would be happy to forward along my resume to the head of HR... 8 interviews later, I was informed I landed the job of my dreams (at the time).

Now you might be wondering, is attending College / University worth it in 2026? There are many factors that go into that decision as highlighted in this customized filter here at the bottom of the blog post and the undeniable fact that on average, those who get a bachelor's college degree can expect to earn 50-100% more, compared to those with only a high school diploma. Although quite a few companies list having an undergraduate degree as a pre-requisite to apply, it is becoming increasingly enticing to forego the student loan debt and gain real world experience on your own terms. The following is a short list of those who either did not attend University or dropped out:

• Bill Gates – Microsoft co-founder (Harvard dropout)
• Mark Zuckerberg – Meta/Facebook founder (Harvard dropout)
• Steve Jobs – Apple co-founder (Reed College dropout)
• Jack Dorsey – Twitter & Square co-founder (College dropout)
• Richard Branson – Virgin Group founder (Left school at 16)
• Oprah Winfrey – Media mogul
• Taylor Swift – Music superstar
• Lady Gaga – Music superstar (Left NYU)
• Rihanna – Music & fashion entrepreneur
• Virgil Abloh – Fashion designer (Left grad school)

While it's easy to say these CEO's / Founders were the lucky ones or rare breed who were specifically talented / gifted in their own right, it is eye opening to learn about others path to success. I'm personally a firm believer that it's what you make of your experience! A lot of the learning happens outside of the classroom and via networking through extra-curriculars. If you think just the name of your College / University is going to get you a job, think again. I've heard in many instances that companies are reluctant to hire someone from the Ivy League as they tend to be disconnected with the real world and their learning to date has been lost in theory. In China, they just announced a new law that you're not allowed to be an 'influencer' unless you can prove you have a University degree or certificate on the subject you're claiming to be an expert in. Whether you agree or not, there are certainly positives and negatives of attending University in 2026 and that is why it is crucial to develop a custom decision making filter which you can reference in our Sports Entertainment Accelerator below.