In today’s rapidly evolving professional environment, continuous learning and development are essential for maintaining a competitive edge. LinkedIn Learning, a leading online platform, gives professionals the chance to enhance their skills with a vast library of expert-led courses. Whether you’re aiming to advance in your current role or explore a new career path, LinkedIn Learning provides access to content that supports your professional growth.
As we move into 2024, the demand for upskilling is higher than ever. LinkedIn Learning equips you with the tools to stay competitive, offering courses across business, technology, and creative fields. For more LinkedIn strategy tips, check out this article by System SocialZ to further boost your career.
What is LinkedIn Learning?
LinkedIn Learning is an online education platform owned by LinkedIn, the leading professional network. It offers unlimited access to expert-created content for subscribers, covering a wide range of career-focused topics.
Rather than hobby courses like macramé or salsa dancing, LinkedIn Learning is all about professional development. Subscribers get full access to all educational content without hidden fees or premium charges.
Content is delivered through videos, courses (video series), and learning paths (multiple courses). Completing a course or learning path unlocks a certificate, which is displayed on your LinkedIn profile—boosting your credibility.
Now that you’ve got the gist, let’s dive deeper into how this platform works!
Who is LinkedIn Learning for?
While exploring LinkedIn Learning’s extensive content library, it became evident that the platform serves a diverse array of learners, surpassing the offerings of any other provider.
Here’s a look at who would benefit from signing up.
Those wanting online learning in their daily lives
Most of the videos available on LinkedIn Learning are highly skill-focused, designed to teach learners how to accomplish specific tasks or understand particular principles. The platform boasts an impressive array of quick, digestible videos, with the “Creative” category alone offering over 127,000 options. Each video is tailored to help users acquire new and specific knowledge, making it easy to locate the information they need.
For example, a detailed three-minute video on formatting data for use in a PivotTable delves deeply into a niche skill. For those who appreciate thorough explanations and seek smarter, more efficient ways to tackle tasks at work, a LinkedIn Learning subscription proves to be a valuable investment.
People who want to advance their careers
Acquiring new skills enhances your job performance, but mastering a complete set of skills showcases your improvement to others. When you demonstrate to potential employers that you’re not only capable of adding value to your role but also proactive in your learning, you significantly boost your reputation and career prospects.
If you’re targeting a promotion, identify the necessary skills for the new position and leverage courses to bridge any gaps. This approach shows your company that you’re the proactive superstar they need for the job.
For example, the course “Leadership Foundations” is an excellent resource for those preparing for a managerial role.
People who want to make a career change
Let’s set realistic expectations: a LinkedIn Learning subscription won’t transform a copywriter into a civil engineer. While no provider can replace specialized training for certain careers, LinkedIn Learning can still facilitate your transition from one career path to another.
Many jobs, particularly in creative fields, allow you to build a portfolio to demonstrate your skills. For instance, completing a Learning Path in 3D modeling can provide a solid foundation to pursue entry-level freelance opportunities. Over time, these gigs can lead to more advanced roles and, eventually, a completely new career.
LinkedIn Learning’s Learning Paths are exceptional resources for those looking to make significant changes in their professional lives.
People looking to maintain their professional accreditation
Project managers, business analysts, accountants, and human resource professionals can leverage LinkedIn Learning courses to earn continuing education units (CEUs).
Through partnerships with recognized accrediting bodies, project managers can maintain their certifications by completing specific courses endorsed by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
However, it’s uncertain whether this platform has a sufficient range of content in these areas to fulfill all CEU requirements. It seems unlikely that it would cover everything.
Nevertheless, the platform provides a convenient way to accumulate a significant number of CEUs before needing to explore other resources.
For instance, the course “Data-Driven Decision Making” offers CEUs for professionals looking to enhance their analytical skills.
People preparing for certification exams
Building on the earlier mention of CEU benefits, LinkedIn Learning has collaborated with leading accreditation organizations to develop content designed to help learners prepare for externally moderated certifications.
With endorsements from big names like Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, LinkedIn Learning offers a wealth of resources designed to help you succeed in their certification exams. In fact, the platform boasts partnerships with 34 such organizations!
While completing these courses doesn’t count towards your certification, they provide crucial insights into the knowledge necessary to excel on the exams.
A great example is the learning path focused on the CompTIA Security+ certification, which includes a series of courses totaling over six hours of content, all developed by recognized experts in cybersecurity.
How does LinkedIn Learning work?
LinkedIn Learning offers a user-friendly platform for enhancing professional skills through a vast selection of online courses. With tutorials spanning business, technology, and creative fields, learners can easily access resources that align with their career goals. This part explores how LinkedIn Learning works, highlighting its unique features and personalized learning experiences that make it a valuable tool for ongoing professional development.
LinkedIn Learning content
Finding the right educational content is crucial to your experience with this platform, and its UX designers have done an outstanding job in this area. We’ll explore the browsing process in more detail in the next section.
It focuses on three main fields of study: business, technology, and creative arts. Each of these categories contains numerous subcategories, covering virtually every aspect of the main topics. The platform has clearly put a lot of effort into organizing its content, showing that it takes information architecture seriously.
A standard search bar offers another way to navigate the platform’s content, available in three formats: videos, courses, and learning paths. Videos represent the smallest unit of educational content, typically addressing a specific skill or concept. While each video is part of a larger course, they can also be viewed as standalone lessons. This is ideal for learners who want to focus on a particular topic without committing to a full course, like fixing the white balance on a sunset photo.
Courses consist of a series of videos that cover a specific subject. Each course is designed, produced, and presented by the same expert or group of educators, ensuring all videos within a course align with a cohesive learning trajectory.
Next are learning paths, which are expertly curated selections of courses aimed at helping learners achieve specific, career-oriented goals.
To summarize the platform’s content structure:
- Videos teach individual skills for specific purposes.
- Courses cover a combination of skills to enhance job performance or prepare for a promotion.
- Learning paths facilitate significant career changes.
Completing a course
After finishing a LinkedIn Learning course, you receive a “certificate of completion” that you can proudly showcase on your LinkedIn profile. A course is marked as complete once you’ve watched all its video content.
Some courses are affiliated with third-party accreditors like NASBA, PMI, HRCI, and IIBA, allowing you to earn continuing education credits upon successful completion and passing the associated exam.
It’s important to note that there are no certifications for merely watching videos; you must complete an entire course or learning path to receive a reward.
Additionally, the platform’s certificates do not allow for credit transfers to external educational institutions. While some universities may accept credits earned elsewhere toward your degree, this platform does not yet have that level of recognition.
LinkedIn Learning features
Here, System SocialZ delves into the key features of LinkedIn Learning that make it a valuable resource for professionals seeking to enhance their skills and advance their careers.
Bookmarks
Bookmark feature allows you to pause your video and revisit it later. Here’s how to use this feature:
- Click the “Contents” tab on the left side of the course screen, then select the bookmark icon within the Contents section.
- To return to your bookmarked point, click on Bookmarks from the drop-down menu under your profile. You can also edit or delete bookmarks from this menu.
Certificates of Completion
LinkedIn Learning provides Certificates of Completion upon finishing a course. You can easily view your certificates by following these steps:
- Click on your profile.
- Locate the Certifications section.
- View your certificates.
After receiving a certificate, you can share it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or via email.
Exercise Files
Exercise files consist of course materials such as projects, documents, and additional activities that help you practice your skills. To access them, follow these steps:
- Click on the course video you want to explore.
- Locate the Exercise Files tab below the video.
- Download the exercise files for your course.
Please note that exercise files are not accessible through the app.
Notebook
The Notebook feature is a valuable tool that allows you to take notes while learning a new course. What sets LinkedIn Learning’s notebook apart is that you can organize your notes in the context of your course content.
Playlists
Playlists on this platform allow you to save and share videos and courses. Here’s how to create a playlist:
- Click the Login icon in the top-right corner.
- Select the Playlist button in the top-left corner.
- Choose the Add to Playlist option and start adding your desired videos.
- Enter the title and description for each video.
Remember to add courses or videos to your playlist by clicking the “+ Add to Playlist” button.
Video Transcripts
Every course video includes a transcript tab, enhancing accessibility to the content. The platform also features auto-scroll and highlighting options to help you follow along more easily.
View LinkedIn Learning Offline
LinkedIn Learning lets you download video courses for offline viewing. Just remember to stay logged into your account to access the downloaded content.
Recommended for Me
The Recommended for Me feature offers a personalized experience by suggesting videos and topics tailored to your interests. If you wish to adjust your preferences, you can select Not Interested for specific recommendations.
How much does LinkedIn Learning cost?
LinkedIn Learning operates on a subscription model, making it an ideal choice for those who want to engage in extensive video consumption. For only $29.99 per month—or a reduced rate of $20.10 if you opt for the annual plan—subscribers gain unlimited access to the entire library of courses. This includes a subscription to LinkedIn Premium, which enhances the overall experience by providing additional networking opportunities and resources. At about a dollar a day, this pricing structure positions LinkedIn Learning as a highly valuable investment in professional development, especially for individuals seeking to enhance their skills and advance their careers.
One of the standout features of this platform is its transparency regarding costs. Subscribers can enjoy unlimited access to all courses without worrying about hidden fees or unexpected charges. This straightforward approach allows learners to focus on maximizing their educational experience, fully exploring the vast array of topics available. Whether we are looking to improve our expertise in a specific area or broaden our skill set, LinkedIn Learning ensures that we have all the resources we need without the burden of additional costs.
Is LinkedIn Learning worth it?
LinkedIn Learning creates a personalized learning experience by analyzing real-time data to identify the skills you need. It evaluates your profile, considering the skills you’ve listed, your network connections, your content preferences, and the opportunities you’re pursuing.
Courses on the platform are tagged with relevant skills, allowing you to showcase them on your LinkedIn profile once you’ve mastered them. When searching for specific skills, the platform’s algorithms recommend appropriate courses from its extensive library.
One standout feature of this platform is its commitment to evolving content. With 50 new courses released each week, it ensures its offerings stay relevant and engaging. Courses are crafted by industry experts addressing current market gaps and practical needs.
Additionally, the platform fosters networking opportunities by enabling users to join learning groups where common topics are discussed, and ideas are exchanged with peers. In summary, whether you’re looking to enhance professional skills, train employees, or expand connections, this platform is an excellent resource for development needs.
The most popular LinkedIn Learning courses list
Finance and Accounting Tips by Jim and Kay Stice
- Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Learner Count: 516,889
- Skills Covered: Corporate finance, Accounting
- Course Description: This course covers essential financial concepts, including balance sheets, debits and credits, and company operating cycles.
Effective Listening by Tatiana Kolovou and Branda Bailey-Hughes
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Learner Count: 1,188,548
- Skills Covered: Active listening
- Course Description: This course focuses on improving your listening skills and overcoming barriers to effective communication.
Introduction to Graphic Design by Tony Harmer
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Learner Count: 202,970
- Skills Covered: Graphic design
- Course Description: This course covers creative concepts and software tools essential for graphic design projects.
Python Essential Training by Bill Weinman
- Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Learner Count: 534,538
- Skills Covered: Python (Programming Language)
- Course Description: This course offers a comprehensive understanding of Python, covering syntax, usage, and advanced features like objects, generators, and exceptions.
LinkedIn Learning certification
Most courses and learning paths on LinkedIn Learning offer a Certificate of Completion. After selecting and completing a course, you’ll receive this certificate. However, some courses, like the weekly tip series, are regularly updated and do not qualify for certification.
To determine if a course provides a certificate, check the course overview. If it mentions frequent updates or is labeled as a series course, it won’t offer a completion certificate.
It’s important to note that LinkedIn certificates are not endorsed by third parties and do not equate to a degree or professional certification. Instead, they serve as recognition of your effort and can be displayed on your LinkedIn profile or included in your resume.
While LinkedIn Learning doesn’t provide professional certifications, it does help you prepare for certification exams and earn continuing education credits (CEUs). By selecting the Courses tab and clicking on Certification Programs, you can access a list of 48 popular professional certifications. From there, you can choose your desired certification and receive recommendations for relevant learning paths and courses.
LinkedIn Learning for students
LinkedIn Learning is an invaluable resource for students seeking to enhance their skills and prepare for the workforce. With many courses covering a wide range of subjects, students can access high-quality content created by industry experts. This platform not only teaches essential concepts but also provides practical skills that are directly applicable in their future careers.
The flexibility of this platform is a significant advantage, as courses are self-paced, allowing students to learn at their convenience. Personalized recommendations help students find relevant courses aligned with their interests and career goals. Additionally, it fosters networking opportunities, enabling students to connect with peers and professionals, share their experiences, and participate in discussions.
By leveraging this platform, students can build a strong skill foundation, boost their resumes, and earn certificates of completion, showcasing their commitment to professional growth. Overall, it serves as a powerful tool for students aiming to stand out in a competitive job market.
5 tips to find the best LinkedIn Learning courses
With just one click, you can explore a vast array of courses across various categories. However, with over 16,000 options available, selecting the course that best meets your needs can be challenging.
Here are five effective strategies to help you narrow down your choices and find the perfect course:
Preview course
To get a better feel for the course and determine if you can follow the instructor effectively, make use of the preview feature available on LinkedIn Learning. This allows you to watch a selection of sample videos before committing to a full course. By observing the instructor’s teaching style, pacing, and presentation, you can assess whether their approach resonates with your learning preferences.
Additionally, previewing videos gives you a glimpse into the course content, helping you identify if it covers the topics you’re interested in. This way, you can make a more informed decision about whether the course aligns with your learning objectives and is worth your investment. Taking this extra step can save you time and ensure you choose a course that meets your needs effectively.
Use the course recommendation feature
LinkedIn Learning provides personalized course recommendations based on your skills, profile activity, and interests. The platform’s algorithms analyze your LinkedIn profile to suggest relevant courses, featuring helpful tags like “Trending Now,” “Learn Within 30 Minutes,” and “New Releases.” These tags guide you in selecting the right content that suits your needs and time constraints.
For a more tailored experience, you can specify particular skills you want to develop, allowing LinkedIn Learning to refine its suggestions further. This targeted approach not only saves time but also helps you focus on the skills that matter most for your professional growth.
Read course descriptions
Each LinkedIn Learning course features a detailed description that outlines its contents, learning objectives, and potential career benefits. Reviewing this information is essential for aligning the course with your professional goals.
Additionally, pay attention to the course instructors, as their expertise can enhance your learning experience. Check the skills covered to ensure they meet your current needs and future aspirations, and consider the indicated difficulty level to determine if the course is suitable for your skill set. By assessing these factors, you can select the courses that best support your professional development.
Use learning paths
One of the standout features of this platform is the Learning Path. By utilizing Learning Paths, you receive curated recommendations for a sequence of courses designed to help you achieve broader objectives, such as becoming a web developer, mastering Photoshop, and more. This structured approach guides you through your learning journey, making it easier to reach your goals effectively.
Explore questions and answers
Each course on the platform includes a Q&A section, which is a useful resource if you’re unsure whether the course is right for you. Here, you can find previously asked questions that may address your concerns, helping you gauge the course’s content and suitability.
If you have a specific question that hasn’t been addressed, don’t hesitate to ask. Engaging in this section allows you to clarify any doubts and fosters a sense of community among learners, enhancing your overall experience.
How to login to LinkedIn Learning?
To register for an account, follow these four simple steps:
- Visit the Website: Open your browser and go to LinkedIn Learning
- Log In with LinkedIn: If you already have a LinkedIn account, enter your email and password, then click “Continue.” This connects your LinkedIn profile with your learning experience.
- Create a New Account: If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, click “Join now” to access the registration page.
- Complete Registration: Enter your email, set a password, review the terms, and click “Agree & Join” to finish the process.
Once registered, you can explore the extensive course catalog available on this platform.
LinkedIn Learning pros and cons
LinkedIn pros
- A wide range of courses with unlimited access.
- User-friendly navigation and a clean design enhance the learning experience.
- All courses are self-paced, allowing you to learn at your own convenience.
- Accessible from desktops, laptops, or smartphones via the app.
- Enjoy a 1-month free trial to explore the platform before committing.
- Courses are available in multiple languages, catering to non-English speaking audiences.
- Personalized course recommendations are tailored to your interests and skills.
- Comprehensive support is provided through a Help Center and a Q&A section for each course.
LinkedIn cons
- Certificates of completion lack external accreditation.
- No free courses are available after the trial period.
- No refunds are offered for course subscriptions.
Will LinkedIn Learning help me with my career?
If you’re aiming for a career in Business, Technology, or Creative fields, LinkedIn Learning is an excellent choice. Its features, like learning paths and personalized course recommendations, enable you to gain the knowledge and skills essential for your desired career.
Courses are structured into bite-sized videos, allowing you to fit learning into your busy schedule seamlessly. Additionally, all courses are delivered by experienced instructors with a strong industry background.
In summary, LinkedIn Learning offers a valuable opportunity to enhance your professional skills and distinguish your skill set, all for a modest subscription fee.
How to cancel LinkedIn Learning?
To deactivate your LinkedIn Learning account, follow these steps:
- Click your profile photo in the top right corner of your LinkedIn homepage.
- From the dropdown menu, select Settings.
- In the Account type: Learning section, click on Manage to be taken to the LinkedIn MY PREMIUM page.
- On the right side, select Manage Premium account.
- Click Cancel subscription and follow the remaining prompts to complete the account deactivation process.
LinkedIn Learning alternatives comparison
Udemy
Both Udemy and LinkedIn Learning offer subscription-based courses focused on professional development, featuring content from industry experts. While LinkedIn Learning boasts over 16,000 courses organized into three main categories, Udemy offers around 5,000 courses across 75 categories.
Both platforms support multiple languages to foster global participation. Alongside French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese, LinkedIn Learning also offers courses in Mandarin. Unlike LinkedIn Learning, Udemy provides some free courses, though these come with limitations on features like certificates, instructor Q&A, and direct messaging.
Pluralsight
Pluralsight is another paid education platform that features a variety of video-based courses. Unlike LinkedIn Learning, which spans three domains—business, technology, and creative—Pluralsight focuses solely on technology content, including areas like IT operations, data professionals, manufacturing and design, and web development.
Both platforms offer learning paths, but Pluralsight stands out with its 50+ free courses and skill and role IQ tests to assess your capabilities.
Coursera
Coursera caters to students, professionals, and business owners, providing a different approach to online learning. Although it has a significantly lower course count than LinkedIn Learning (4,000 vs. 16,000), Coursera offers around 1,600 free courses that include graded assignments (though without certificates).
Additionally, Coursera provides guided projects in data science, computer science, and business, collaborating with companies and institutions. It also features continuing education paths and specialized courses aimed at job skills.
Lynda
Lynda.com, founded 20 years ago, was one of the first e-learning platforms. Following its acquisition of Lynda.com in 2015, LinkedIn merged and rebranded the platform as LinkedIn Learning in 2017. In 2019, LinkedIn announced that users would need a LinkedIn profile to access LinkedIn Learning.
While the course content remains largely similar to what Lynda.com offered, LinkedIn Learning has introduced personalized course recommendations and integrated completion certificates into users’ LinkedIn profiles.
Skillshare
Skillshare surpasses LinkedIn Learning in course offerings, boasting over 25,000 courses across a diverse range of topics. It also offers a more budget-friendly option with a two-month free trial, in contrast to the one-month trial available with LinkedIn Learning.
However, a drawback of Skillshare is that it allows anyone to become an instructor, whereas LinkedIn Learning ensures that only certified professionals and industry experts teach its courses.
LinkedIn Learning- Frequently asked questions
Are there quizzes on LinkedIn Learning?
Many LinkedIn Learning courses feature assessments or chapter quizzes, enabling you to evaluate your understanding and retention of the material.
Can you speed up LinkedIn Learning?
LinkedIn Learning enables you to adjust the playback speed of courses, activate closed captioning, read along with transcripts, and download content for offline viewing on both desktop and mobile devices.
Can people see my LinkedIn Learning courses?
Your course viewing activity is visible only to other learners who have also enabled this setting. By default, course viewing sharing is turned on for all courses, but you can disable it for specific courses through the Settings in the social panel.
How to get the library card’s ID for LinkedIn Learning?
The Library ID can be found at the end of your LinkedIn Learning invitation link, formatted as www.linkedin.com/learning-login/go/libraryID. If you are unable to locate this information, please reach out to your librarian for assistance.
Can you gift a LinkedIn Learning course?
Yes, LinkedIn Learning subscribers can now “gift” a course to their network, allowing all their LinkedIn connections to access it for free for the next 24 hours.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Learning is a vital resource for professionals looking to enhance their skills in 2024. With over 16,000 courses in business, technology, and creative fields, the platform offers personalized recommendations and learning paths that help users engage with the material effectively. Its interactive assessments and flexible learning options, such as offline access and adjustable playback speeds, make it easy to fit learning into busy schedules.
By investing in their development through LinkedIn Learning, individuals can acquire valuable skills and improve their career prospects. Embrace the opportunity to unlock new skills and advance your professional growth this year. For more information, visit System SocialZ.