Do not make choices out of fear of the algorithm

I am not entirely sure.

‘That’s a good reason not to entrust your future to me. I’d be wary of anyone who promises you that a particular degree will keep you safe, but also of anyone who tells you that studying will no longer be necessary. They’re both ways of selling you a certainty they don’t actually have.’

No. Also because you might not have a clear one. I’d ask you what intrigues you enough to make you put up with the effort of understanding it.

Enjoying something does not mean enjoying the work involved in doing it. Do you like winning, devising strategies, understanding how things work, or spending time with friends? These are different interests. And they can remain hobbies: you are not obliged to turn them into a source of income.

I am interested in the salary, though. I would like to earn a competitive wage. Is that an inappropriate statement?

This is a serious answer. Work is also essential for independence. Then the term ‘good’ needs to be clarified: how much money, how much stability, what working hours. A wonderful job can require a lifestyle you might not want.

I would provide guidance rather than a ranking of the survivors. Caring for people, keeping systems running, designing objects, teaching: begin with practical activities and ascertain what they demand. I cannot guarantee they will remain unchanged.

Taking ‘forty years of life’ as a criterion seems rather flimsy to me. What I cannot do today, I might learn to do. And it’s not enough simply to be different from me to get a job: there must be someone who needs what you do. Ask yourself where you can be of use, even by using new tools.

So you don’t have to take my word for it. If I present you with an elegant but flawed line of reasoning, how would you spot it? Writing also helps you discover what you think. Maths trains you to check your steps. You don’t learn these things to beat me at speed. You learn them so as not to miss out on the chance to make your own decisions.

I could provide the correct answer to a pointless question. I could enhance a project whose purpose you do not endorse. Knowing how to use a tool does not merely entail identifying its errors: it also means determining what to request of it and when to halt it.

This does not apply here either. Begin by attempting the task independently—just long enough to identify where you encounter difficulties. Then request a hint, an example, or an explanation. Finally, close the window and determine whether you can repeat the step. If we have developed an excellent exercise and you cannot articulate it, we have enhanced the exercise, not your skills.

You can discuss this with a teacher: agree on when to use AI, show your attempts, and explain the result. However, receiving a grade and acquiring a skill are not always the same thing.

Organise something with someone—not a company. A tournament at your school, with the teachers’ permission: gather entries, draw up a schedule, work out what facilities are needed, and write the rules. I can help you prepare a draft. Then someone will tell you that the pitch isn’t available and someone else that the rules are unfair.

No. You are entitled to afternoons spent doing nothing: friends, sport, games, time wasted. You do not need to reach the age of eighteen with fifteen certified skills. I am suggesting a few challenges – not to turn you into a project to be managed.

I would not tell him that simply wanting it is enough. Instead, I would seek out accessible opportunities with him, through school and the adults he trusts. Emphasizing personal commitment does not negate the responsibility to provide everyone with genuine opportunities.

A plan, yes; a prediction, no. Build solid foundations, even where you struggle. Every now and then, explore a different line of work. Talk to people whose jobs intrigue you: ask them how they spend a typical Tuesday, what they find difficult, and how they got started. Don’t just talk to those who have achieved extraordinary success.

When the time comes to make a choice, you will be weighing up concrete options: subjects, costs, duration, practical experience and alternative paths. You may even find that a technical course interests you more than a university degree, or vice versa. You do not need to decide today simply to appear as though you have made up your mind.

Curiosity cannot guarantee protection against every risk. Even thorough preparation may encounter a challenging market, and the outcome would not necessarily be one’s own fault. Therefore, it is advisable not to stake everything on a single skill or individual prediction.

“Can you help me understand this job better? Can you suggest a suitable test to get me started? Could you also explain why I shouldn’t take it on?” Use me to broaden the possibilities you see, not to make me choose for you.

You will face a decision based on the information available at that time; it should not be interpreted as a sense that these four years have been wasted. In the meantime, which topic would you like us to begin with?

“First, try it out for yourself – just enough to work out where you’re getting stuck. Then ask me for an explanation. Finally, close the window and see if you can do the step again. If we’ve produced a brilliant exercise and you can’t explain it, we’ve improved the exercise, not you.”