The Top Apps for Lifelong Learning & Skill Building
Why Should We Prioritize Learning?
Lifelong learning in and of itself is a really important skill. Flexing the muscles in our brain that help us digest new information, apply it to current problems, and connect it to past lessons and successes is truly the foundation of staying adaptable over the course of our careers.
I’m passionate about lifelong learning, and think that we’re so lucky that it’s more achievable than ever. Bite sized bits of content are really at our fingertips now. Feel like learning a language? There are a million free apps that are excellent. Read to tackle adding some programming or coding skills to your resume? For literally under $20 you can get start skill building your way to a new career.
And not only is lifelong learning just a personally edifying pursuit, it allows us to be more flexible in the way we monetize our skills. Constantly adding to our tool kit is one of the best ways to play offense in our careers. We can all hit rough stretches of job losses or tough economies. Having a wide range of ways we can show up as professional additions in a variety of companies is a huge “insurance” plan for our careers.
Here are the apps I always keep on my phone to keep learning a habit:
Duolingo: The free version is more than enough for me. I find the interface really user friendly, and the super-short, bitesized modules mean that you actually are more inclined to do this daily. Even just a couple minutes a day is what can add to your fluency for any language you’re interested in learning over time.
Rosetta Stone: Two language apps might feel like overkill, but these serve different purposes for me. I went ahead a while back and took the plunge on their under $200 offer for all languages for lifetime access. Considering that even a single six-week class at a local college would cost you multiples of that, this felt like a steal. I think of this as my slow burn language effort. It’s a little more in depth than Duo Lingo, but I enjoy having the more structured academic vibes to add to those bite sized modules.
Udemy: The largest open course provider, Udemy wins for me for the sheer variety of courses it offers. On everything from learning specific software to even brushing up softer skills around emotional intelligence, management, and presenting, it has a massive range of courses in over 60 languages. There is a lot offered here for free; paying for some courses may be worth it to get certificates of completion issued or to message directly and privately with instructors.
edX: If Udemy is my skills-focused favorite, edX would be my pick for true resume enhancing learning experiences. Many of the courses here are co-offered by leading universities and colleges, meaning you get both the quality of educational content and the gravitas of having experienced a course from them, but completely online and at much more affordable pricing.
Coursera: This is another great option if you’re actually looking to pursue some sort of structured academic program. Founded by two Stanford professors, you can actually earn entire degrees through this platform from accredited universities. It’s also a good one for really technical training, as a lot of companies partner here to offer courses that capitalize on their specialty (e.g., IBM’s various tech and data offerings).
