CHAPTER 17

Four Practices of People Who Are Always Learning New Skills

by Mike Kehoe

Working in online learning, I’ve found that every January there’s a burst of sign-ups from workers seeking new skills. Perhaps it’s a matter of New Year’s resolutions, or a reaction to seeing their friends and colleagues make big career changes at this time.

Unfortunately, the initial commitment to learning all too often fizzles. Studies have found that 40% to 80% of students drop out of online classes. Those who give up miss out. In one survey of more than 50,000 learners who completed MOOCs on Coursera, 72% reported career benefits such as doing their current job more effectively, finding a new job, or receiving a raise.

Having worked in human resources at ...

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