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Advice / Succeeding at Work / Getting Ahead

7 Free Short Classes You Can Take (and Finish!) on Your Lunch Break

You’re looking to boost your resume to apply for another job, or you’re hoping to learn a new skill to get better at your current role, or you just always wanted to learn about a certain topic. You’ve considered taking an online class, but hey, don’t those take forever? Nobody has time for that.

Well, you’re right—a lot of online courses take hours, even weeks to complete. But hold your horses, because there are also ones that take less than an hour!

Don’t believe me? Try these seven short classes on for size—in the comfort of your home or, get this, even on your lunch break.


Success doesn’t come in a day—but you can get started on the path to it in one hour. This professional development course, taught by a software engineer, is a great resource to begin to tackle those physical, intellectual, and emotional barriers that keep you from reaching the top.

Length: 1 hour/ 15 lectures


How do the most successful people get to where they are? A pen and paper, of course—and this course will walk you through how to use these two things to make big moves in your life.

Length: 31 minutes/ 11 lectures


Want to check Excel proficiency off your resume? Boom, a quick solution to mastering this key tool.

Length: 1 hour/ 11 lectures


If you’re feeling a bit ambitious about coding, try this easy web development class.

Length: 1 hour/21 lectures


Considering a career in accounting, but never have the time to think about it? Well, here’s a brief overview to dip your toes into this field in one hour.

Length: 1 hour/ 18 lectures


Getting a hold on your finances doesn’t have to take all day—and with this short course, you’ll handle them with grace, poise, and speed.

Length: 1 hour


Before you finish up your presentation for that big meeting, try out this class and get a quick refresher on all the things you can do in Google Docs.

Length: 1 hour


Photo of person taking a class courtesy of Hero Images/Getty Images.