Portfolios Over Degrees: Why Skills Are the Future of Hiring

Hiring is changing–forever.

☑ 45% of companies plan to eliminate bachelor's degree requirements (Intelligent.com).

☑ A McKinsey study found that hiring for skills is 5 times more predictive of job performance than hiring for education (TechSpective).

☑ The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that 95% of executives and HR heads say nontraditional candidates perform just as well, if not better than, degree-holders (Workable).

And that's not it.

Even Harvard students can't find a job.

The Wall Street Journal reported that 23% of Harvard Business School's 2024 M.B.A. graduates were still seeking employment three months after graduation, up from 20% the previous year and 10% in 2022.

The world is changing.

The workforce is going skill-first.

Skill-First Paradigm

Show me what you do, not who you are.

Big corporations say it.

Thriving freelancers know it.

Even Elon Musk asked for it recently:

If you’re a hardcore software engineer and want to build the everything app, please join us by sending your best work to code@x.com. We don’t care where you went to school or even whether you went to school or what “big name” company you worked at. Just show us your code.

Skills can hardly be faked.

If you've done something - would it be successful or not - you're very much capable of talking about it.

Just like you can spot a liar once he can't properly tell the story... you can spot a "school-smart-only" person.

So what's the equivalent of a skill-first story you can't fake?

Your portfolio.

Portfolio

Your portfolio can be many things.

1 - A website. Or many of them.

2 - A presentation of your best works.

3 - Every single review on your online store.

This is the modern business card.

The 2025 elevator pitch.

Show me your links & I'll tell you who you are.

Let's imagine I'm searching for a job.

I started a music label at 19 years old. Made millions of views.

I then sold 3,500+ courses at ​rubenhassid.ai​ & bootstrapped ​EasyGen​.

I am also a college dropout aha–and I think I can get a job pretty easily compared to a Harvard graduate.

Now if the portfolio is the end goal, how can someone start?

It all comes down to content.

Content First. Everything Else Second.

Yes, I am my portfolio. But I got there through content.

I did not start selling prompt engineering courses.

→ I started with content from my learnings.

I did not start my SaaS 'EasyGen' from the get-go.

→ I started with content from my learnings.

I was a student. But one that made content on it.

→ If I am learning it, I will share anything that I discovered it.

→ If my discoveries go viral, it means it stroke a chord in my community.

→ If my community grows & asks me for solutions, I will learn → discover → and create content on it.

→ Once I had enough content that solved enough problems, I did it.

I am now considered both 1) an instructor 2) an expert.

And AI can help you in every single step.

Let's take another example.

You want to be an architect. You are 18 years old, freshly out of high school.

First, you go to the best online education... for free. YouTube.

Create a fresh new account, from scratch.

Search for "become + architect," and I filtered the results with "most views count".

I found these videos:

1 - Starting from Scratch : Becoming an Architect Entrepreneur (38 min - 572,000 views).

2 - So, you want to be an architect? (31 min - 554,000 views).

3 - What I learned on my Journey To Become an Architect (35 min - 240,000 views).

4 - Should You Study Architecture? 5 Questions to Help You Decide if Architecture is for You (8 min - 197,000 views).

This is the start of your rabbit hole.

Now your algorithm will push 80% (if not more) content for wannabes architects.

You will learn more in a week than most in a year.

We will imagine you still want to be an architect after watching hours of content.

What's an architect portfolio like?

Great question. Everything is online.

1 - Go on Linkedin, and search for the best ones.

2 - Go on X, and search for the best ones.

3 - Go on YouTube, and search for the best ones.

If my daughter wanted to be an architect, I'd advise her to pick one she wants to work for, FOR FREE.

But don't ask them right away.

She must create her own content before reaching out to a senior architect.

Let's say she wants to go for Linkedin - the best professional social media out there.

Step 1: What's your mission?

→ My daughter is young. So on-trend.

→ My daughter wants to be an architect.

→ My daughter is fond of AI (hehe, she knows her dad).

I went to ​Mission-GPT​ and this is what ChatGPT gave me as an answer:

Revolutionize architecture with AI: tools, tips, and tech for tomorrow’s designers.

Step 2: What's your topics?

Let's create many of them - and pick only one for step 3 (research).

I used ​Topic-GPT​. And this is some answers:

→ From Sketch to Reality: Show how AI transforms hand-drawn sketches into fully-realized 3D renderings.

→ Top AI Tools Breakdown: Compare popular AI tools, ranking them by features, pricing, and ease of use for architects.

→ How AI is Revolutionizing Floor Plan Design with ARCHITEChTURES: Showcase how ARCHITEChTURES automates floor plan creation, saving time and enhancing creativity.

I picked the 3rd one.

Step 3: Research your topic.

Go to ChatGPT search and/or DeepSeek search and/or Perplexity.

→ ​https://chatgpt.com/share/678cd214-ff14-800f-be79-f34af6a1b8db​

→ ​https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-ai-is-revolutionizing-floo-LH25Pf2RSn6ITHcnW2QiJA​

→ I can't share DeepSeek results (there is no featured for this) but it was quite good!

Now it's on my daughter to...

☑ Recoup all of these information.

☑ Try the tool for herself. Explore it.

☑ Write a meaningful topic with all of this.

Once you have a written topic of your learnings, move on to step 4.

Step 4: Write the caption.

Go to ​app.easygen.io​ → Custom Topic.

Paste your written topic there. Here's mine:

ARCHITEChTURES is at the forefront of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into architectural design, significantly transforming the traditional process of floor plan creation. By leveraging generative AI, the platform automates and optimizes the design of residential buildings, enabling architects and developers to produce optimal layouts in minutes rather than months.

Automated Design Process

The platform allows users to input specific design criteria, such as room dimensions, building heights, and spatial relationships. ARCHITEChTURES’ AI then processes these parameters to generate real-time, optimized floor plans that adhere to the provided specifications. This automation streamlines the initial design phase, reducing the time and effort traditionally required.

Enhancing Creativity

By automating routine and time-consuming tasks, ARCHITEChTURES frees architects to focus on the creative and complex aspects of design. The platform’s AI capabilities facilitate rapid exploration of various design alternatives, encouraging innovation and allowing designers to experiment with unconventional layouts and concepts.

Real-Time Data and Collaboration

ARCHITEChTURES provides real-time metrics, including gross floor areas, unit distributions, and compliance with urban parameters. This immediate feedback enables architects to make informed decisions throughout the design process. Additionally, the platform supports collaborative features, allowing multiple stakeholders to work together seamlessly, share designs, and integrate feedback efficiently.

Integration with BIM

The platform generates Building Information Modeling (BIM) solutions and project data in real-time, which can be downloaded in formats like XLSX, DXF, and IFC. This integration ensures that the AI-generated designs are compatible with existing architectural workflows, facilitating a smooth transition from concept to construction.

You then generate with EasyGen at least 5 times before enjoying it.

I made a mix of the generations I had before nailing this post:

Don't design like it's 1999.

Instead, master ARCHITEChTURES:

ARCHITEChTURES is changing the game for architects.

☑ Instant floor plans.

☑ Real-time optimization.

☑ Traditionally, creating a floor plan took months.

Now, ARCHITEChTURES uses AI to do it in minutes.

This isn't just speed; it's efficiency.

Imagine inputting your design criteria—room sizes, building heights, spatial relationships—and getting a fully optimized plan almost instantly.

The AI processes these parameters, delivering real-time, optimized layouts. This automation slashes the time and effort traditionally required.

But it’s not just about speed. It’s about creativity.

By handling routine tasks, ARCHITEChTURES lets architects focus on the creative aspects of design.

The platform encourages innovation, allowing designers to experiment with new layouts and concepts.

You get to explore various design alternatives rapidly, pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Real-time data and collaboration are crucial.

ARCHITEChTURES offers immediate feedback, including metrics like gross floor areas and unit distributions.

This data helps architects make informed decisions throughout the design process.

Plus, the platform supports collaboration, enabling multiple stakeholders to work together seamlessly, share designs, and integrate feedback efficiently.

Integration with BIM is seamless.

The platform generates Building Information Modeling (BIM) solutions and project data in real-time.

These can be downloaded in formats like XLSX, DXF, and IFC.

This ensures compatibility with existing workflows, making the transition from concept to construction smooth.

ARCHITEChTURES is not just a tool. It’s a revolution in architectural design.

Embrace the future.

PS: I am XXXXX, a wannabe architect, and I'd love to connect with architects!

Step 5: The media.

Multiple ways here (explained in this ​article​).

Yes, the best format for 99% of the creators on Linkedin are images & carousels.

That's why ​EasyGen​ supports generating a (viral) image for your post.

But I'd tell my daughter to capture a video of her showcasing the tool she's mentioning.

It will build up credibility with her new audience.

Perfect to get hired!

Now picture this. My daughter spends her first year...

☑ Consuming the best content online about architecture.

☑ Creating content every week about her learnings (using AI).

☑ Building up a community of junior & senior architects.

I said a year - but I'm pretty sure it would take a couple of months.

Now for the second year...

☑ She reaches out to her favorite (and top-ranked) architects.

☑ She lands a FREE internship to speedrun her learning.

☑ She starts to build a portfolio of her own.

What do you think is going to happen in year 3? Year 5? Year 10?

She will be one of the most prominent architects there is.

NOW IMAGINE THE OPPOSITE: she hates it.

Well honey - you only spent a couple of months discovering (instead of spending $10,000 per year).

And remember, you are building both a timeless personal brand & portfolio.

That's what people want to hire.

You will be just fine.