Why AI Training Isn’t Optional—It’s Urgent
Midjourney + Adobe Firefly: Curt Doty
Let’s get blunt: AI‑fluency is how you guard your career.
AI Skills = Real Salary Gains
If you haven’t jumped on the AI learning train yet, you’re already losing pay. Across industries, job postings requiring AI skills offer a 28 % salary bump—that’s roughly $18,000 more per year. And if a role expects two or more AI skills? The premium spikes to 43 %.
Even non‑tech jobs - HR, marketing, education - are listing “AI literacy” as a must-have. Not nice-to-have. Must!
Meanwhile, universities are racing to offer full-on AI degrees and master’s programs. Sounds smart in theory—until you consider that by the time you graduate, the entire job market could look radically different. Remember: we’ve seen more disruption in the last two years than in the previous twenty. So yeah—by the time you’ve paid your tuition and walked that stage, the skills needed may already be obsolete.
What Practical AI Fluency Looks Like
It’s not about rocket science. It’s about:
Writing prompts that don’t suck
Generating smart content (text, image, audio, video)
Automating workflows without triggering chaos
Evaluating outputs with a human lens
Knowing AI’s limits, ethics, and risk
Picking the right tools for your task
Showing receipts - “I did this using AI,” not just “I’ve heard of ChatGPT.”
Why Human Coaching Still Wins
Sure, there are a hundred AI training platforms out there—from free YouTube videos to pricey bootcamps. But nothing—nothing—beats real-time coaching from a human expert who’s been in the trenches. Whether it’s one-on-one or a workshop, online or IRL, a human coach can:
Personalize your learning
Correct your misconceptions
Guide you through your actual job use case
Give feedback in real time
Keep you from wasting time on fluff
It’s not just training. It’s transformation. That’s how you go from AI-curious to AI-capable.
What to Do Now
Start small, build fast. Learn one AI skill. Maybe prompt‑engineering. Maybe AI‑generated video.
Get hands‑on. Apply AI in your current role. Automate something. Generate a compelling report or creative piece.
Show, don’t tell. Update your profile: “Well‑versed in GPT‑4 prompting” > “Master’s degree.”
Demo your wins. Show tangible projects. Anybody can say “I know AI.” But can you prove your AI made something better?
Join immersive training. The best way to get good? Work with a coach. Find a mentor. Book that workshop. Tools are everywhere. But expertise? That’s what separates the average from the indispensable.
Universities can’t keep up. Employers are hunting for talent. And automation is knocking at the door. The AI literacy gap is real—and the ones who win are the ones who learn now.
“Curt is a great & trustworthy guide for a very complex subject.” – Gay Dillingham, Producer/Director, CNS Communications
“I was astounded to see how AI could be used to create a very substantial marketing plan.” – Arin McKenna, Staff Writer/Reporter, Northern New Mexico College
If you want to get ahead—and stay ahead—consider IMMERSE WORKSHOPS, my hands-on AI coaching experiences designed to build confidence, capabilities, and career momentum. Whether you’re an individual looking to level up or a company needing to upskill your entire team, this is where it starts.
Want Coaching or a Custom Workshop in Your Org?
Let’s make it happen. Contact me directly to book a session or bring AI training into your organization. Because in this new era of work, clarity and capability are everything.
If you're not training, you're falling behind. And if you're falling behind in 2025, you may not get back up.
The time is now. Arm yourself.
Sources:
Read in Inc.: https://apple.news/Aw7MddARKTpOdoqQtJROgpg
Read in Gizmodo: https://apple.news/ADAD8wWYITDyi6ANNS2ZEcw
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-jobs-entry-level-salary-ab2a11c0?utm_source=chatgpt.com
About the Author
Curt Doty, founder of CurtDoty.co, is an award winning creative director whose legacy lies in branding, product development, social strategy, integrated marketing, and User Experience Design. His work of entertainment branding includes Electronic Arts, EA Sports, ProSieben, SAT.1, WBTV Latin America, Discovery Health, ABC, CBS, A&E, StarTV, Fox, Kabel 1, and TV Guide Channel. His work in movie marketing spans the major studios: Universal Pictures, Fox Searchlight, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Miramax and Disney. He is now helping independent filmmakers market their movies for festivals and distribution.
He currently serves on the board of the Godfrey Reggio Foundation and is the AI Writer for Parlay Me.
To learn more about Curt’s pedigree of innovation, check this out.
