Is success an illusion? 

“Study hard, get good grades, and you’ll get a good job” - we all grew up hearing this same old line like a mantra. It was practically the anthem of our childhood. Parents swore by it, teachers wrote it on blackboards like it was the spiritual truth, and we carried it in our heads like a promise that had to be fulfilled. Back then, marks were equivalent to magic. They were supposed to open every door to success, comfort, and a future that looked neat and certain.

But we know that change is the only constant in life and therefore, the boundaries of reality shifted. The world changed, industries evolved, and suddenly the rulebook changed without any warning. Now, everyone chants a new mantra: “Degrees don’t matter anymore. You need skills. You need connections. You need experience.”

It seems comical because we spent half our lives chasing grades, only to realize we were playing an outdated game. What used to be the ticket to success now barely gets you through the first round of an interview. The result? A generation caught in the middle - educated, unemployed, and just a little bit offended.

Welcome to the Skill-Set Era

Actions speak louder than words for sure and accordingly the ultimate truth nowadays is that skills speak louder than report cards and straight A’s. Gone are the days when having a degree felt like having superpowers. Degrees felt like the wand of power with which anything was possible. It meant you were smart, hardworking, and quite honestly, set for life. But fortunately (unfortunately for many) that shiny piece of cardboard paper doesn’t impress anyone unless it comes with real skills to back it up.

Employers today are not just looking for toppers anymore. They want people who can get things done efficiently. You might have a 9.5 CGPA, and uncountable straight A’s but if you can’t solve problems, work with a team, or handle pressure in the least amount, it doesn’t really count. The world has changed (thankfully), and so have its priorities. 

Today’s job market is all about what you can do, not just what you know. Whether it’s writing, designing, coding, editing, or managing social media - skills are your superpower. And frankly, the race for marks feels kind of pointless now when half the toppers are struggling to land interviews.

Be it technology, freelancing, remote work, everything has changed the game. Employers want quick learners, not rule followers. And the truth is harsh: a degree might get you in the door, but only skills will keep you in the room.

Let Us Not Widen the Gap Anymore – The Education Gap

Okay, so let us tackle this myth and bust it open -  belief vs. changing reality. The education system still harbors an archaic belief that it’s preparing us for the “real world,” with its never-ending syllabus, strings of assignments, and threats of attendance. But let’s be honest, the system is preparing us for exams, not life. Which is why the moment a student steps into the real world after graduation, they find themselves misplaced and helpless. What we did at university was cram theories, memorize essays, and chase grades while the actual world outside was changing faster than our syllabus ever could.

Colleges still treat internships like optional add-ons when they should be absolutely mandatory. Volunteering, freelancing, and working on live projects are the things that actually build confidence and teach survival skills. You don’t learn teamwork or leadership by highlighting lines in a textbook. You learn it when you mess up, fix it, and do better the next time.

The truth is, our education system is stuck on rewind while the world is on fast-forward. Industries are demanding multitaskers who can adapt quickly, but classrooms still reward those who can memorize the most pages before exam day. It’s a clear mismatch, one that’s leaving students confused, underprepared, and overwhelmed.

If colleges really want to help, they need to stop preaching theory and start teaching reality. Make internships mandatory, that’s the need of the hour. Make soft skills part of the syllabus. Let students explore, make mistakes, and actually learn, because the world doesn’t need perfect marks anymore, it needs people who can make things happen, who can make an impact.

Career Stability: The Modern-Day Mythical Creature

Expiry dates are real, whether on groceries or career, and that's something to ponder upon. Career stability today feels like a Hogwarts spell, it looks impressive when it works, but one wrong move and poof, it disappears. The job market is unpredictable, layoffs are increasingly on the rise, and even the most “secure” positions can vanish faster than you can say Expecto Patronum. So where does that leave fresh graduates trying to make their way in this chaos?

We were told that once we get a “good job,” life will fall into place, and we’d live happily ever after but postmodernism happened and perhaps it's time we start questioning whether the “happily ever after” even exists. In reality, good jobs or even  great jobs come with expiry dates now. 

Companies want employees who can multitask, adapt to every new software, survive deadlines, and still smile on Zoom calls (yes, all that is expected).  and if you can’t keep up, there’s always someone else who can, there are 8 billion people in the world. 

The bitter truth is that the idea of a stable, lifelong career is as mythical as a golden snitch, everyone’s chasing it, but barely anyone catches it. People are switching industries, freelancing, juggling side hustles, and doing whatever it takes to stay afloat. The gig economy sounds glamorous until the next project doesn’t show up.

This is why choosing a career today needs more than just ambition, it needs strategy, awareness, and flexibility. You can’t just rely on your degree and hope magic happens. You have to study the market, understand its spells and tricks, and build a path that keeps you learning and evolving. After all, in this world, the real magic isn’t stability, it’s adaptability.

The Real Tug of War: Meaningful Income or High income

Once upon a time high paying jobs  were the ultimate dream. The bigger the paycheck, the louder the applause and societal validation. But what exactly is history without a plot twist, Gen Z has changed the script, slowly but surely. Money still matters (because bills exist), but meaning matters too. We want jobs that don’t just pay, but fulfill. We want to learn, grow, and actually feel like what we do makes a difference.

This is where the conflict begins, the actual tug of war. The world runs on two currencies -  passion and paycheck, and balancing them feels like walking a tightrope in heels. You either pick a job that drains your soul but pays your rent, or one that fuels your heart but barely covers your coffee. And honestly, neither feels like “making it.”

Maybe that’s why so many young professionals are stuck in limbo, questioning the purpose of existence. They are chasing stability but craving purpose. We’re told to “follow our passion,” but passion doesn’t pay the bills, and bills don’t care about passion. So, the only real solution is to find that sweet middle ground: doing what you love while staying smart about it.

At the end of the day, maybe success isn’t about choosing between meaning and money, it’s about refusing to settle for a life that gives you only one.

The Plot Twist that no one expected but was necessary

Success does exist. It did not drop out, it just changed its major because change is inevitable. For years, we were told that grades are the GPS to a good life. Turns out that GPS has been running on expired maps. The route has changed, and if you don’t learn to reroute, you’re just stuck in traffic while the world zooms past.

You could be the class topper with a wall full of medals, but if you cannot adapt, communicate, or think on your feet, then congratulations, you’re overqualified for sure but also underprepared. The job market doesn’t want your academic perfection; it wants your practical chaos. It wants people who can make things happen when the Wi-Fi crashes five minutes before a presentation.

We’re the generation that’s unlearning what “success” is supposed to look like. We’re done worshipping 9-to-5s that treat exhaustion as achievement. We want careers that challenge us.. We want growth, not just designations. We’re building our resumes on experiences, not attendance sheets. And we’re not scared to start over if the script doesn’t serve us anymore.

The real winners today are the ones who evolve. The ones who keep learning, keep hustling, and know that failure isn’t a full stop, it’s just a new paragraph. In this era, the degree can definitely get you the invite, but your skills, your courage, and your adaptability decide if you stay for the afterparty.

So yeah, keep your certificates, but don’t frame them like trophies. Frame your growth instead because the world doesn’t run on straight A’s anymore, it runs on bold moves, soft skills, and unshakable confidence.

And if someone still tells you “good grades guarantee a good life,” just smile and say, that’s so 2005.