During my last semester of college, I took a class to reflect on the skills I’ve acquired from my internship. Alongside reflecting, my peers and I completed assignments to further teach us how to respond in a work environment. These lessons included how to recognize and navigate through challenges, respond to setbacks, and adapt to the work environment. The most interesting thing we did was for our midterm assignment, where we had to complete a LinkedIn training lesson of at least 20 minutes and reflect on what we learned from it.
While this might seem absurd, there is value in attaining certificates from these courses! You will need a premium LinkedIn account to take them. However, you can get a free trial, and your certificate doesn’t go away when you decide to cancel it. So you might want to take advantage of this while also obtaining new skills.
You may be asking, “What are the benefits of taking a LinkedIn training course?” Here are just a few:
1. They Prepare You For Future Jobs
This might sound strange at first, but sitting through these courses is great practice for future job positions. Many jobs will require you to sit through video training tapes and have you answer course questions. Some might even have you complete these videos and questions on your own time while you start getting hands-on experience in your job. Taking these LinkedIn modules will prepare you for that, making it easier for you to digest the information and lessons.
2. They Help You Understand Your Industry
Similarly, the more lessons you take on courses you’re interested in, the better you’ll be able to understand what jobs will require from you. It’s always a good idea to hear from people already doing what you want to do. Someone who’s a baker wouldn’t be able to tell you what it’s like to be a police officer, for example. On LinkedIn, you’ll find many course instructors doing exactly what you want to do. Hearing from them and completing modules will better prepare you mentally for what you should know about your chosen career.
As an example, I chose to get a certification for “Monetizing Content Creation” by Kim Kaupe. I knew Kaupe’s course would help me understand the content creation market more than a teacher who doesn’t promote himself would. With my goal being to succeed as an author and make good profit from my writing, I knew that I needed to understand how to promote myself and how to begin. This is the value in taking these LinkedIn courses; you learn from experts in the field you’re interested in, making you better prepared when it comes to job applications.
3. They Look Great On Your Profile
As I’ve mentioned, completing these assessments reward you with certificates that will appear on your LinkedIn account. While they may sound like digital trash, employers do pay attention to them. When they look for employees, someone who has more experience and knowledge in a field because of a course they took will look more appealing than someone who doesn’t. Not all jobs will require prior experience, but it certainly helps seal the deal since employers won’t see you as some mysterious hire who might not be the best worker.
These are just a few reasons to take a LinkedIn course. Consider taking some of these modules yourself in your desired career.
Best of luck in your job search!
