January 8, 2016: Friday news roundup

Happy New Year! The Roundup has been on a holiday hiatus, but we’re pumped to hit the ground running here in 2016. Let’s dive right in!

A year of change for employment, culture, and education in 2016
This is a good place to start — with our CEO’s predictions for the year ahead. Dennis will be watching to see how the growing ranks of freelancers keep their skills competitive, how Silicon Valley steps up to show its philanthropic side, and how companies face up to their ageism problems.

4 ways to become a better learner and How to make learning more automatic
Learning how to learn… sounds like the punchline to a joke, right? No funny business about it. Read on for real, concrete actions you can take to help yourself get into and stay in the learning mindset.

7 best career moves to make in your 20s
Millennials, this one is for you. Start off the new year with these great tips for getting ahead in the workplace. Along with advice to set goals, seek out mentors, and join professional groups, Udemy gets a shout-out under tip #6: “keep studying.”  

Why do Americans work so much?
Perhaps this is a question you asked yourself when you woke up on Monday after the holidays and headed back to the office. The answer, as this article explains, is not simple, nor is it consistent across income brackets, but in a nutshell: low-wage earners work more because they have to; wealthier folks do it because they want to.

How to keep your technology department ahead of the curve
The newest installment of the Forbes Technology Council again features Udemy’s own VP of Engineering Claire Hough with some wise words on how companies can keep up with the dizzying pace of tech trends.