05-11-2026ASK THE EXPERTS

I ran HR at Tesla. Here’s what the class of 2026 can do to navigate the AI chaos

A 5-point strategy for modern career success.

[Source Image: Adobe Stock]

BY Valerie Capers Workman

A few weeks ago, I stood on a stage at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), looking out at the Class of 2026. The air was thick with a very modern kind of tension. While previous generations might have experienced the standard “graduation jitters,” what I saw was something far more intense: a profound sense of confusion and chaos. I was there to help them decode it.

For the past four years, these students have been caught in a crossfire of conflicting narratives. On one side is the traditional establishment promising that a degree is a golden ticket to a linear, predictable path. On the other is a loud, disruptive chorus telling them that in the age of Artificial Intelligence, their education is a map to a world that no longer exists.

As someone who helped scale a........

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