LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 690 million users worldwide. LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s subscription service that provides users with additional features and benefits beyond the free LinkedIn account. One of the key features included with LinkedIn Premium is access to LinkedIn Learning, LinkedIn’s massive online learning platform.
So does LinkedIn Premium give you access to LinkedIn Learning? The short answer is yes, a LinkedIn Premium subscription does provide full access to LinkedIn Learning and all of its courses. This can be an extremely valuable benefit for professionals looking to develop and strengthen their skills.
What is LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s subscription service that provides users with enhanced features and functionality beyond what is available with the free basic LinkedIn account. Some of the key benefits of LinkedIn Premium include:
– Access to LinkedIn Learning – This provides unlimited access to over 15,000 online courses covering business, creative and technology topics. Courses are taught by industry experts.
– Increased profile visibility – Premium profiles get up to 30x more views than basic profiles. This helps users get discovered by recruiters and hiring managers more easily.
– Unlimited profile visitors – See who is viewing your profile without using up one of the allotted monthly views. Helpful for researching companies and making connections.
– Advanced profile analytics – Gain insights into how your profile is being discovered and who is engaging with your content.
– Larger InMail allowance – Send more direct messages to people outside your network to build relationships and stand out from the competition.
– Premium job search – Unlock all filters to narrow down your job search and see salary info. Appear higher in recruiter searches.
LinkedIn Learning Overview
LinkedIn Learning is LinkedIn’s massive online learning platform that gives members access to over 15,000 courses taught by real-world experts. It covers a diverse range of topics including business, creative, and technology skills.
Some key facts about LinkedIn Learning:
– 15,000+ courses in 7 languages across business, technology, and creative topics
– New courses added daily based on in-demand skills
– Courses taught by real-world experts
– Offers video courses, practice tests, quizzes, and coding exercises
– Learning paths curated by topic to help guide your learning
– Certificates of completion to showcase new skills
– Compatible across desktop, mobile, and TV
– Closed captioning support
So in summary, LinkedIn Learning is a robust online learning platform with extensive course offerings taught by industry experts. It aims to help members strengthen their professional skills and reach their career goals.
Accessing LinkedIn Learning with Premium
One of the main benefits of the LinkedIn Premium subscription is that it unlocks full access to all LinkedIn Learning courses.
Here is an overview of how to access LinkedIn Learning with a Premium account:
– Sign in to your LinkedIn account on desktop or mobile and ensure you are on a Premium plan.
– Go to the “Learning” tab and browse courses by category, skill level, and more. You can also search for specific courses.
– When you find a course you want to take, simply click “Start course” to begin. No additional purchase needed.
– Take courses at your own pace on your schedule. You have unlimited access.
– Earn a certificate of completion when you finish the course that can be added to your profile.
So LinkedIn Premium removes all restrictions and paywalls from LinkedIn Learning. Everything can be accessed entirely for free as part of the Premium membership.
LinkedIn Learning Course Examples
To give you a better idea of the breadth and depth of courses available through LinkedIn Learning with Premium, here are some examples across business, creative, and technology topics:
Business Courses
– Becoming a Confident Public Speaker
– Improving Your Time Management Skills
– Communicating with Diplomacy and Tact
– Problem Solving for Better Decision Making
– Leadership Communication Strategies
Creative Courses
– Graphic Design Techniques
– Creating Infographics
– Photography Foundations
– Music Theory for Songwriters
– Video Editing with Adobe Premiere Pro
Technology Courses
– Machine Learning Algorithms
– Java Programming Fundamentals
– Information Security Certification Prep
– Cloud Computing Overview
– Data Analysis with Excel PivotTables
As you can see, there is tremendous variety covering hot business topics, creative skills like design, photography, and video editing, and technical skills ranging from coding languages to cloud platforms.
Comparing Free vs. Premium LinkedIn Learning
To fully understand the value of unlocking LinkedIn Learning through a Premium subscription, it helps to compare the key differences between the free vs paid experience:
Feature | Free LinkedIn Learning | Premium LinkedIn Learning |
---|---|---|
Course library access | Limited selection of courses | Full access to 15,000+ courses |
Expert-led courses | ✓ | ✓ |
Course certificates | ✕ | ✓ |
Learning paths | ✕ | ✓ |
Offline viewing | ✕ | ✓ |
Skill assessments | ✕ | ✓ |
As you can see from the table, a Premium account unlocks the full LinkedIn Learning experience. You go from limited access to unlimited access with additional features like certificates, learning paths, and offline viewing.
Is LinkedIn Premium Worth it for Learning?
Given the complete access to LinkedIn Learning that Premium provides, is the upgrade worth it solely for learning purposes? Here are some key considerations:
– **Cost savings** – Premium costs around $30/month. Purchasing all courses individually could cost thousands. Premium offers great value.
– **Time savings** – Unlimited access lets you learn at your own pace. No need to pay per course.
– **Variety** – 15K+ courses means endless opportunities to expand your skills.
– **Expertise** – Courses taught by true subject matter experts can accelerate learning.
– **Certificates** – Completion certificates validate your new skills to employers.
– **Convenience** – Learn on any device, online or offline. Compatible anywhere.
For serious learners looking to regularly strengthen and develop new skills, the unlimited access to top-notch courses can make LinkedIn Premium very worthwhile. The cost savings and convenience factors provide excellent value.
However, more casual learners may find it hard to justify the ongoing expense if they only take a course occasionally. But frequent learners who want to build a broad arsenal of professional skills get great mileage out of the learning component of Premium.
Downsides of LinkedIn Learning
While LinkedIn Learning offers many benefits through Premium, there are some downsides to consider as well:
– **No instructor interaction** – All courses are pre-recorded videos without live instruction.
– **Mixed course quality** – Some courses are better produced than others.
– **Limited credentials** – Certificates hold relatively little weight on their own.
– **Lack of reminders** – You must schedule courses yourself without reminders.
– **Cost** – Premium not inexpensive for infrequent learners.
So while the course library is very extensive, the learning experience differs from a traditional classroom. Learners must be self-directed and motivated. Premium also adds recurring costs for those not learning regularly.
Conclusion
In summary, a LinkedIn Premium subscription does provide full unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning and all of its 15,000+ courses across business, creative, and technology topics. This can be an extremely valuable benefit for professionals and lifelong learners looking to regularly develop new skills and advance their careers.
However, more casual learners may have difficulty justifying the ongoing expense if they only take a sporadic course here and there. But frequent learners can gain tremendous knowledge through Premium’s unlimited access to top quality courses taught by industry experts.
So Premium is likely most worthwhile for those looking to regularly strengthen new professional skills and key competencies that align with their career goals and aspirations. The unlimited access and subscription model offer excellent value and convenience for continuous learners.