LinkedIn Learning, formerly known as Lynda.com, is an online learning platform that offers a wide variety of courses in business, technology, and creative skills. With over 15,000 courses taught by industry experts, LinkedIn Learning has become a popular way for professionals to gain new skills and advance their careers. But can taking courses on LinkedIn Learning actually help you get a job? Let’s take a closer look.
The Benefits of LinkedIn Learning for Your Career
Here are some of the key ways LinkedIn Learning can benefit your career prospects and employability:
- Gain new skills – LinkedIn Learning offers courses in everything from programming languages like Python and JavaScript to business software like Salesforce and QuickBooks. By taking courses in skills that are in demand by employers, you can make your resume more attractive.
- Add certifications – Many LinkedIn Learning courses offer certificates of completion. Certifications prove to employers that you have invested time in mastering new skills.
- Expand your professional network – With over 675 million users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. Taking LinkedIn Learning courses gives you visibility and connections within the LinkedIn community.
- Enhance your resume – The courses you take on LinkedIn Learning can be added to your LinkedIn profile. This provides concrete examples of your commitment to continuous learning when recruiters view your profile.
- Learn industry terminology – For those new to a particular field, LinkedIn Learning is a great way to learn insider lingo and key concepts that are second nature to veterans of that industry.
- Flexible learning – LinkedIn Learning offers the ability to take courses online anytime, anywhere. This flexibility is ideal for busy professionals.
With the right courses tailored to your goals, LinkedIn Learning can help you gain the skills, confidence, and connections to improve your competitiveness in the job market.
Types of Jobs You Can Get
Now that you understand the concrete benefits LinkedIn Learning provides, what types of jobs can it actually help you get?
Here are some of the top jobs and careers where LinkedIn Learning courses can make a big impact:
Information Technology and Computer Science
LinkedIn Learning offers an enormous library of over 3,000 courses in IT and computer science topics. Whether you want to be a programmer, web developer, data scientist, cyber security specialist, or IT project manager, relevant courses allow you to build a strong technology skillset.
For example, courses in Python, JavaScript, SQL, and AWS will be extremely helpful for developer roles. Courses on CCNA certification prep can lead to networking jobs. Project management courses allow you to understand methodologies like Agile.
Design and Creative Roles
If you have creative talents, LinkedIn Learning has over 2,000 courses that can help you land jobs in design and creative fields like graphic design, web design, user experience (UX) design, illustration, photography, video production, animation, game development, and more.
For example, learning Adobe Creative Cloud programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro through comprehensive LinkedIn Learning tutorials is a great way to develop the skills needed for roles like graphic designer, UX designer, or video editor.
Business Professionals
From marketing to accounting, human resources to entrepreneurship, LinkedIn Learning offers courses relevant to almost any business or management career path.
Important business skills like Excel, financial modeling, sales techniques, email marketing, business strategy, and effective management can all be learned via LinkedIn Learning courses. This training will make you more qualified for business roles like marketing manager, financial analyst, HR specialist, operations manager, and many more.
Office Productivity Software
Knowing popular software tools for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, email, and more is crucial for almost any office job. LinkedIn Learning provides extensive training in Microsoft Office programs, Google Workspace apps, and more.
These software skills allow you to be effective in everyday administrative and clerical roles like office manager, executive assistant, secretary, data entry specialist, and other vital support positions at any company.
Job Industry | Relevant LinkedIn Learning Course Topics |
---|---|
Information Technology | Programming languages, Web development, Cybersecurity, Project management, Database management |
Design & Creative | Adobe Creative Cloud, Graphic design, Web design, User experience (UX), Animation, Photography, Video production |
Business & Management | Marketing, Accounting & Finance, Human resources, Leadership & Management, Business strategy, Sales, Project management |
Administrative & Support | Microsoft Office, G Suite/Google Workspace, Customer service, Business communication, Time management |
Examples of Real People Who Got Jobs Using LinkedIn Learning
While the benefits sound great in theory, what kinds of real-world results have people achieved using LinkedIn Learning? Here are some inspiring examples of professionals who successfully got jobs after taking LinkedIn Learning courses:
Sara – Web Developer
Sara was changing careers from teaching to web development. She took LinkedIn Learning courses to learn web languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The projects she completed for the courses became portfolio pieces that impressed employers. After 3 months of intensive LinkedIn Learning training, Sara landed a job as a front-end developer at a startup.
Prasad – Java Developer
Prasad had a bachelor’s degree in computer science but no work experience as a software engineer. To gain practical skills, he supplemented his degree with LinkedIn Learning courses in Java programming. This allowed Prasad to speak knowledgeably about Java in interviews. He also completed Java projects to showcase his skills. Within 2 months of LinkedIn Learning training, Prasad got hired as a Java developer.
Julia – Digital Marketer
Julia wanted to transition into digital marketing from a career in journalism. She used LinkedIn Learning to take courses in areas like search engine optimization (SEO), Google Ads, social media marketing, email marketing, and web analytics. This helped Julia understand marketing terminology and concepts required to be a digital marketer. After 4 months of intensive learning, Julia leveraged her new digital marketing expertise to land a job as a Marketing Coordinator.
Jamal – IT Support Specialist
Jamal had an Associate’s degree in Information Technology but no work experience. To gain the real-world skills needed to be an IT support specialist, he took courses on LinkedIn Learning for CompTIA certifications, computer hardware, Windows administration, and troubleshooting common IT issues. Within 6 months, Jamal obtained his CompTIA A+ certification and found a job as an entry-level IT support specialist.
Tips for Using LinkedIn Learning to Get a Job
If you want LinkedIn Learning to help you land your next job, here are some pro tips:
- Choose courses relevant to your target job – Don’t take random courses. Tailor your learning path to the concrete skills required for your desired role.
- Complete multiple courses to build expertise – Taking a single course won’t cut it. Demonstrate deeper knowledge by completing multi-course concentrations in a skill area.
- Earn certificates – Certificates prove to employers you have actively mastered in-demand skills.
- Apply skills to real projects – Use course assignments or independent projects to build an impressive portfolio that shows what you can do.
- List courses on your resume and LinkedIn – Quantify the new skills and knowledge you have gained through LinkedIn Learning courses.
- Learn industry terms and concepts – Develop familiarity with the terminology and core ideas that are table stakes in your chosen field.
- Practice explaining concepts from courses – Be able to discuss what you learned accurately and confidently in interviews.
- Refresh knowledge before interviews – Review key concepts from courses as prep before big interviews.
Following these tips will ensure you extract maximum value from LinkedIn Learning to achieve your dream job.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn Learning offers a powerful platform to build in-demand job skills, gain industry credentials, and demonstrate career focus to employers. While LinkedIn Learning alone won’t get you a job, it can tremendously improve your qualifications, confidence, and competitiveness as a candidate if used strategically.
With a targeted approach, robust effort, and persistence, LinkedIn Learning courses can provide the missing puzzle piece to help you break into a new field or level up in your current career. The investment of time, energy, and perhaps money required is well worth it for the careers that LinkedIn Learning can unlock.
Any motivated professional can take control of their career journey and get results using LinkedIn Learning. The examples and tips above prove that landing your dream job is possible with the right online training approach.