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August 17, 2010

The Skills Every Worker Needs

This article, "7 Skills Every Worker Needs," doesn't include skills you've never heard of before, but I think the last two skills it mentions are especially important, and if you went to school, you may be lacking in one or both.

That's why it's so important to homeschool your kids if you want them to thrive in the 21st century. Skill #6 is curiosity, which is often squelched by formal schooling. And skill #7, self-reliance, is something I post about frequently on this blog. In fact, the last paragraph of this article mirrors something I've written in my upcoming book, Thriving in the 21st Century. The article's author states:

It's becoming apparent that the big institutions that many Americans have relied on for the last 50 years--corporate America, banks, the government--won't be as supportive in the future. Those who adjust and become more entrepreneurial will be the winners. That means developing more technical skills instead of relying on others, making lots of backup plans, and building a big cushion in case something goes wrong. "Don't get too dependent on having total continuous employment," advises Peters. That way, if you end up out of work for a while, it might seem like more of a blessing than a curse. And you'll know what to do next.

No one was saying this six years ago, when I began writing my book. But I think it's becoming clearer by the day that our children will have to support themselves in a much different world than the one we're used to.

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