In the past, graduating from a renowned school was considered a “golden ticket.”
It opened doors, promised a clear career trajectory and offered a prestige that seemed to guarantee lifelong opportunity, or at the very least, stability.
Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape has shifted dramatically.
Today’s world, shaped by algorithms, the attention economy and the accelerating pace of AI, means that even the most capable graduates risk being overlooked — not due to a lack of talent, but because their CV wasn’t optimised for an ATS system or their LinkedIn presence didn’t stand out.
Success is no longer linear. In the attention economy, visibility often trumps substance and traditional markers of alumni achievement —grades, degrees and university placements — only tell part of the story.
Alumni who have followed all the expected steps frequently discover that stability, financial security and a sense of fulfilment are far less certain than they were for previous generations, leaving many feeling unsettled and unclear about their future or the impact they can have.
Understandably, no parent or student will invest a six-figure sum for this uncertain outcome.
Schools must intervene, actively acknowledging the realities of today’s world and demonstrating that they are proactively supporting and equipping their alumni for life beyond the classroom.
Modern parents and alumni are asking new, more human-centered questions: