Sure, others will argue that people don’t stop learning - that we learn within our careers, by reading, and by meeting others. Yes, but the only time most adults take an entire year to learn is when they go to college.

If you want to make sound decisions, if you want to advance your career, and if you want others to be interested in what you have to say... you must put as much energy into learning as you did in college.

Fortunately, the world is going to help you out on this one. All the top colleges are experimenting with massively opening online courses, and free, or nearly free, content is increasingly easy to find. Nearly every major city has meet-ups focused on cutting edge topics. Educators are even starting to rethink the basic idea of a “college” education.

Education is the best insurance policy you can buy for your career.