INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE: Learn on the Go with MapúaMCM and LinkedIn Learning
by Eshly Nicole Busalla
Our future is created by what we do today, not tomorrow.
We are at this stage of the global health crisis wherein the new normal feels overwhelming, and we often lack the motivation to learn. With everything that has been happening and the new circumstances that we are faced with, it is a challenge not to get distracted whilst educating yourself from home. Be that as it may, we should not let this adversity take a toll on our future.
Instead, we should start building our future careers to realize our aspirations in life.
Fortunately, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao, A Mapúa School — as the student-centered school it is — has partnered with LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, to offer us more opportunities to learn and upskill through their course-offering subsidiary, LinkedIn Learning.
This web blog shares my view and experiences with LinkedIn Learning, a platform where you can connect with learners in the moments that matter.
First Things First
To start off, it is not a prerequisite to create a LinkedIn account before accessing the LinkedIn Learning content, but it is highly recommended. Linking your personal profile to your LinkedIn Learning account has its advantages. In this way, it can provide you with a more personalized experience through learning recommendations based on your profile, as well as LinkedIn trends based on their data.
Why Use LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the largest professional networking website which has over 500 million members in over 200 countries. It is fundamental to have a professionally customized profile as it allows you to create an online professional brand which can help open doors to more opportunities and networks that you may not have been aware of without the help of social media. It gives you the ability to showcase your profile, expertise, recommendations and connections which is why recruiters and employers use it to search for candidates in a more convenient way.
For students, this could potentially jumpstart your future careers.
LinkedIn Learning: What is There to Love About it?
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform which serves to help us learn and improve different skills, and there surely are lots to love about it.
FIRST, it has over 16,000 expert-led, online courses, and video materials. It offers several high-quality content in different categories, from job specific to non-job specific skills, taught by credible experts.
I can be assured of the quality of learning since the coaches’ credentials are screened first before being allowed to teach on the platform. Furthermore, it helped me gain knowledge in different fields of expertise through the variety of courses it offers.
SECOND, depending on your career path, LinkedIn Learning also provides recommendations to bring more focus onto your goals at the moment. They provide relevant courses from your LinkedIn connections, peers learning, and interests so that you can have a flourishing profession.
Browsing through the array of courses posed no issue for me since I could just go ahead and take the recommended courses. It helped me stay up to date and learn new skills that I could utilize in the future.
THIRD, it offers a more interactive, social, and intuitive approach to learning. You can interact with experts and colleagues who have taken the course before by sharing your thoughts and ideas or by asking questions and clarifications through the comment section.
Most of their courses have quizzes, exercise files, and other documents as well which were helpful in assessing and practicing what I’ve learned.
FOURTH, you can earn certificates from many of the leading companies around the world. Numerous LinkedIn Learning courses provide you with a certificate after completing one, which you can include in the “Licenses and Certifications” section on your LinkedIn profile.
If you happen to be one of my Facebook friends, I have uploaded some of my certificates online! These courses and experiences have honestly made me want to learn more.
LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, you can learn on-the-go! If you have too much work to do, you can still learn by listening to the audio. It’s definitely not a requirement to be confined in front of your computer or laptop all day. Learning with LinkedIn is dynamic, and the materials are available online and offline so you don’t have to worry about not having internet connection.
Aside from that, if you’re the busy body type like me, then you can try the short courses too. You’ll be able to learn a lot in just a few minutes which makes it really convenient.
Final Thoughts…
If we continue focusing on the unrelenting bleakness brought about by the pandemic, then we won’t have any room for productivity. We won’t get better if we always procrastinate!
Will we let our future suffer because of the ‘could have beens’ of our past? Definitely not.
What we can do now is turn adversities into opportunities by investing in ourselves. Our future depends on us, so we should begin honing ourselves as early as now for a brighter tomorrow.
Dream and dedicate. Work hard and succeed. Learn and grow. Invest in your future with LinkedIn Learning.