In the digital display room that is LinkedIn, it’s important to have somewhere to hang your accolades. There’s no understating the importance of a qualification. However, such certificates can only tell the employer so much about your experience and skills. What sets you apart from the other candidates? When it comes down to it, what can you actually do?
The world’s most recognised online CV platform has included a way for its user to demonstrate that they don’t just talk the talk, but can also walk the walk, skills-wise whilst also providing a platform to increase their range of skills.
What is LinkedIn Learning?
LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform which offers a vast library of online courses. The courses are sorted under three categories: Business, Creative and Technology. With the wide variety of learning resources available, you can tailor your professional growth as you see fit, increasing your portfolio of direct and transferrable skills.
Let’s take a look at what one course has to offer.
Say you want to improve your skills in technical support. The LinkedIn Learning course ‘IT Help Desk for Beginners’ promises a comprehensive guide to IT responsibilities. The description reads:
Interested in a job in IT? Get the skills you need to pursue an entry-level position as an IT help desk technician. This course is an ideal starting point for job seekers wishing to venture into the field of technical support or seeking to strengthen their overall technical savvy and skills. It covers the fundamental IT help desk responsibilities, including software installation, networking, and troubleshooting… [continued]
The course is just over an hour, which is a very accessible time for someone who has to allocate portions of the day into their job hunt. What’s more is that the hour doesn’t have to be spent all in one go; each course is separated into chapters. Chapters split the course into 15 minute chunks and each chapter is made up of 3-5 minute videos. Remember when we talked about tailoring your learning? If you already have some experience in IT support, you can skip the chapters you’re already familiar with as the contents of each section is marked clearly. This is also useful for if you’re currently working the job and would like a comprehensive guide into one particular aspect of your work.
More than just a HowTo
The service isn’t only made up of watching videos. Each course includes a forum for asking questions which can be answered by your peers but also experts in the field of your course. There are also interactive resources that reinforce your learning and give you a chance to test your skills. These can vary from quizzes to mock documents and files that you’d see in the job.
Whilst courses bolster your skills, LinkedIn Learning provides you with the opportunity to become a recognised specialist through curated Learning Paths. Learning paths are made up of courses and ordered in a way that provide you with the benefits of a full qualification. Examples of such Learning Paths are ‘Advance Your Skills as an IT Help Desk Specialist’ (19 hours), ‘Become a Project Manager’ (11 hours) and ‘Become a Digital Marketing Specialist.’
Something to show for it
Perhaps the outstanding benefit of these courses is its effect on your profile. Once you complete a course, the certificate is displayed proudly under your name. As LinkedIn Learning courses are rigorously vetted for quality control by the platform, these qualifications are a serious boon in the eyes of potential employers. So now’s the time to get out there and gain valuable skills to be displayed on your LinkedIn Profile!