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AT&T CEO John Stankey: Rebuild Your Career Every 4–5 Years — Be the 'Dean' of Your Own Education

AT&T CEO John Stankey advises young professionals to treat careers as four- to five-year chapters and to periodically rebuild their skills as technology and business models change. Speaking on the "In Good Company" podcast, he urged people to be the "dean of your own education" and develop a repeatable process for continuous learning. Stankey and other tech leaders, including Reid Hoffman and Naval Ravikant, emphasize that AI fluency and self-directed learning are key competitive advantages.

06:15 PM, 12/04/2025Technology

AT&T CEO Urges Young Professionals to Plan Careers in Short Chapters

AT&T Chief Executive John Stankey told young professionals they should think of their careers as a series of four- to five-year chapters, arguing that rapid technological change and evolving business models make a single, static education insufficient for a long working life.

Speaking on the "In Good Company" podcast released Wednesday, Stankey said the idea that a college degree alone will remain fully relevant is "quickly fading," and urged people to take active ownership of their ongoing learning.

"You think about how fast technology is moving, how fast business models are moving. You have to think about your career in chapters that are four or five years," Stankey said.

Stankey, who has worked at the telecom giant for more than 41 years and has served as CEO since 2020, recommended that people periodically rebuild their foundation and skill set to stay relevant over an 80- or 90-year life span.

"The only way you're going to be able to do that over the course of a life that may be 80 or 90 years is if you are really, really good about being the dean of your own education and having a process," he added.

Stankey noted that nearly unlimited information is available at our fingertips, and that artificial intelligence has raised the stakes by making knowledge and tools more accessible. "People who master that are going to probably be the ones who come out on top over time," he said.

Voices From Tech: Reinforcing Self-Directed Learning and AI Fluency

Stankey's advice echoes guidance from other technology leaders. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman has long urged people to act as the CEO of their own careers, emphasizing responsibility for continuous learning. In a June podcast, Hoffman told young listeners they are "generation AI" and that familiarity with AI tools makes candidates more attractive to employers.

Investor and AngelList cofounder Naval Ravikant similarly stresses self-directed learning. While acknowledging that formal education can open doors, Ravikant argues that true learning is self-driven — and that the internet and platforms like Khan Academy, as well as recorded university lectures, have made high-quality learning widely accessible.

Taken together, these leaders recommend a practical approach: treat education as an ongoing, deliberate process; refresh skills every few years; and add AI literacy to your toolkit to remain competitive in a rapidly changing labor market.

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