When you think about the future of work, what skills come to mind? Coding? Data? Maybe design?

According to the Future of Jobs 2025 Report (Merit America), employers have been clear: the top skills they want over the next five years are not specific technical checkboxes. They are:

• Analytical thinking
• Creative problem-solving
• Adaptability (resilience, flexibility, agility)

These skills are topping employer wish-lists - even more than advanced degrees or years of experience.

Skills Over Degrees

The report also highlights a big shift: skills-based hiring is overtaking degree-based recruitment. Employers increasingly care less about where you went to school, and more about whether you can show:

• Practical experience
• Certifications
• Digital portfolios
• Demonstrable skills in real-world contexts

In short, what you can do matters more than what’s printed on your diploma.

How Students Can Prepare

So, how do you prepare for this reality? The report offers a roadmap:

• Commit to lifelong learning
• Build digital portfolios to showcase your work
• Seek mentorship and peer groups to learn collaboratively
• Embrace project-based and flexible work to build adaptability

These aren’t one-time tasks. They’re habits that shape a career ready for change.

Where AI Fits In

Now, let’s bring AI into this picture. If analytical thinking and problem-solving are critical, then blindly relying on AI won’t cut it.

The EY Gen Z Report (Dec 2024) shows that while Gen Z embraces AI, many overestimate their actual skill in using it. They know how to generate content, but often struggle to evaluate its accuracy, spot limitations, or apply it critically. (EY Report)

That’s the real gap: knowing how to think with AI, not just use it.

At Flintolabs, we’ve built our programs around this exact challenge. We don’t just teach students AI literacy - we focus on:

• Analytical thinking: understanding where AI is useful and where it falls short
• Creative problem-solving: using AI as a helper to brainstorm, test, and iterate on ideas
• Adaptability: learning through projects, where things rarely go as planned, and resilience comes from experience

And because we focus on project-based app building, our students walk away not just with theory but with digital portfolios that show what they’ve actually created.

The future of jobs will not be won by degrees alone. It will be won by those who can think critically, adapt quickly, and create solutions, with AI as a tool, not a shortcut.

References

1. Merit America. “2025 Future of Jobs Report: 5 Takeaways on the Skills Needed for the Future of Work.” Meritamerica.org, meritamerica.org/blog/2025-future-of-jobs-report-takeaways.

2. EY. “Gen Z Report: December 2024.” EY.com, ey.com/content/dam/ey-unified-site/ey-com/en-gl/about-us/corporate-responsibility/documents/ey-gl-gen-z-report-12-24.pdf.