May 13, 2025
In the ever-changing, ever-evolving world of work, developing a single set of skills and resting on your laurels won’t get you very far. Career-long learning is the key to keeping up with the times and being able to seize the right opportunities when they arise.
Some theories, like the theory of human capital formulated by American economist Gary Becker, suggest that there is a causal relationship between continuing education and career development. But over time, it’s become clear that a broader view of this concept is needed, according to Marie-Claude Gaudet, CHRP, an associate professor with HEC Montréal’s Department of Human Resources. “Models like these tend to lend more importance to measurable outcomes like salary and job promotions. But a successful career doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. The notion of success is not what it once was. It’s not just about vertical progression anymore. People want to grow horizontally, expand their skillsets and feel more fulfilled on a personal level,” she says.
Alain Gosselin, FCHRP, a professor emeritus at HEC Montréal and instructor at Executive Education HEC Montréal agrees that there’s much more to it. “For many, ‘learning’ is something you do in the classroom. But if you take a closer look at how knowledge is acquired over the span of a lifetime, 70% to 80% actually comes from informal sources. In other words, a development plan isn’t a matter of attending a few training sessions. It’s about getting help from your workmates, observing what’s happening around you, asking questions and immersing yourself in other people’s experiences,” he explains.
According to another theory, commonly referred to as the 70-20-10 model* 70% of knowledge comes from job-related experiences, 20% from interactions with other people and 10% from structured education. This doesn’t take away from the value of what is learned through these last two channels. Water-cooler discussions, projects outside the workplace and active engagement in formal training programs are all important parts of the learning ecosystem. It’s the combination of the three that makes professional development a rich, balanced and impactful experience.
Marine Agogué, a professor with HEC Montréal’s Department of Management and an instructor with Executive Education HEC Montréal, sees as many people taking courses after they’ve been promoted to a higher position as those who do so proactively as part of a career advancement strategy. In other words, although courses are an excellent pathway with many benefits, they’re not the only way to learn. Expanding how we look at career-long learning is essential to take all of these possibilities into account. Some programs are specifically designed to help learners diversify their competencies while at the same time giving them the opportunities to engage in discussions with their peers and reflect on certain issues and experiences as a group.
Hard vs. soft skills
Career growth isn’t necessarily contingent on skills development. The best ways to get ahead can vary depending on the industry, job, tasks to performed and type of advancement involved. But Gaudet has observed a pattern that applies to most contexts: “Generally speaking, people promoted to a team management role are almost always those who are technically proficient in their field but lack crucial management skills. And, sadly, that’s exactly what will make or break them as a team manager.”
Gosselin adds that professional growth takes hard skills in a given field of expertise, but it’s important to ensure that the soft skills are there too. “The higher up you go, the less specialized the jobs tend to be,” he explains. “So you should look for programs with a focus on the softer side of the skills spectrum. MBA Essentials is a great example of this kind of program.”
That being said, learning-related needs often change over time. “People at the beginning of their career trajectory tend to want to acquire very specific skills. Those with more experience are more interested in peer interactions, both within and outside their organization,” Agogué says.
Interestingly, being a good manager doesn’t automatically mean you have what it takes to be a good leader, warns Gosselin. He stresses that emotional intelligence, managerial courage, authenticity and empathy are all soft skills that need to be improved as part of a leadership toolbox.
Barriers to learning
Although the positive impacts of continuing education are well documented, buy-in isn’t necessarily an easy thing, says Gaudet. “People often lack the motivation, the engagement, the time and the resources. Learning is hard work. And it’s not always clear how to go about doing it.” People who had a hard time in school are frequently averse to anything resembling an academic experience.
“The first hurdle you have to overcome is yourself,” says Gosselin. “Resolve counts for a lot, but it takes the right resources and people around you to turn that resolve into action. If you don’t have a plan in place, that can also keep you from moving forward. A vague idea of what you want and how to get it isn’t enough.” He suggests setting tangible, achievable goals that will keep you on track and make you feel like you’re accomplishing something. “You need some breadcrumbs along your path so you can look back and know how far you’ve come,” he says, adding that you should give yourself ample time so you can fully grasp and practice what you have learned.
Last but not least, the employer has an important role to play in the process, by making sure their employees have access to the tools and resources they need to grow. “There is a financial cost involved, especially when you consider that you have to release your employees from their regular tasks so they can focus on what they’re learning,” says Agogué. Career-long learning is indeed an investment — it takes time and energy, at the both the individual and organizational level. But it’s an investment that pays off many times over.
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* Developed in the 1990s by Michael M. Lombardo and Robert W. Eichinger.