LINKEDIN LEARNING Review 2023: Is LinkedIn Learning Worth it?

Summary

In this review, the author initially skeptical about LinkedIn Learning, explores its offerings and finds it surprisingly valuable. The platform, which includes Lynda.com's extensive course catalog, focuses on business and professional development with high-quality, video-based courses. While some courses lack hands-on projects, the platform excels in production values and offers a variety of topics. The reviewer notes the cons, such as the absence of a la carte course purchases and the presence of outdated material, but ultimately gives LinkedIn Learning a B-minus, recognizing its above-average performance and potential value for those seeking to learn new concepts or enhance their professional skills.

Takeaways

• 😀 LinkedIn Learning offers a wide range of courses, including the entire catalog from Lynda.com, covering various topics from business to software development.
• 😮 The platform provides a selection of courses that are more business-oriented and professional compared to other platforms like Udemy.
• 📚 Courses on LinkedIn Learning are typically short, ranging from one to three hours, with most lectures being just a few minutes long, making them manageable for busy learners.
• 👩‍🏫 The focus of the courses is more on introducing concepts rather than in-depth projects, which can be beneficial for those looking to explore new topics quickly.
• 🎥 The production quality of the courses is consistently good, with clear recordings and professional presentation, reflecting LinkedIn's standards.
• 📅 LinkedIn Learning displays the publication date of courses, which is important for subjects like web development where content can become outdated quickly.
• 💰 The platform offers two membership options: monthly at $29.99 or yearly for just under $240, which includes additional LinkedIn Premium benefits.
• 🚫 One of the main drawbacks is that LinkedIn Learning is entirely video-based, which may not suit everyone's learning style and could lead to passive learning.
• 🔍 There are outdated courses mixed in with the fresh material, so learners need to be vigilant and check the publication dates to ensure they are getting up-to-date information.
• 🛒 Unlike some platforms, LinkedIn Learning does not offer the option to purchase courses individually, which could be a con for those only interested in a single course.
• 🏆 The reviewer gives LinkedIn Learning a final grade of B-, indicating that it is above average but still lacks some important features compared to competitors like Codecademy Pro.

Q & A

What was the initial expectation of the speaker about LinkedIn Learning?

The speaker initially expected LinkedIn Learning to be of poor quality, describing it as a 'steaming pile of dog'.

What is LinkedIn Learning and how does it relate to Lynda.com?

LinkedIn Learning is a platform that includes the entire catalog of Lynda.com courses, along with other courses produced by non-Lynda members. Lynda.com members can import their data into LinkedIn Learning.

How does the speaker describe the selection of courses on LinkedIn Learning?

The speaker describes the selection of courses as a 'civilized version of Udemy,' focusing on serious topics geared towards business-minded people, with a professional and consistent production value.

What is the difference between LinkedIn Learning and Udemy in terms of course content?

LinkedIn Learning focuses on more serious and business-oriented topics, such as crisis management and software development, whereas Udemy offers a wider variety of courses, including more unconventional topics.

What is the typical length of courses on LinkedIn Learning?

Most courses on LinkedIn Learning are between one and three hours, with lectures often being just a few minutes long, making them manageable for learners.

How does the speaker describe the focus of software courses on LinkedIn Learning?

The speaker notes that the software courses on LinkedIn Learning tend to focus more on showing the technology rather than building projects for a portfolio.

What does the speaker appreciate about the production quality of LinkedIn Learning courses?

The speaker appreciates the consistent good recording quality and the effort put into the courses, noting that LinkedIn Learning has a minimum acceptable standard for its courses.

Why does the speaker mention that the publication date of courses is important?

The publication date is important because it indicates how up-to-date the course content is, which is critical for fields like web development where technology changes rapidly.

What are the membership options for LinkedIn Learning and their respective costs?

There are two membership options for LinkedIn Learning: a monthly membership at $29.99 per month, and a yearly membership at just under $240.

What are some of the pros and cons the speaker identifies with LinkedIn Learning?

Pros include a wide course selection and good production values. Cons include the platform being entirely video-based, which may not suit all learning styles, the presence of outdated courses, and the lack of an option to buy courses individually, requiring a membership instead.

What is the speaker's final assessment of LinkedIn Learning and what grade did they give it?

The speaker gives LinkedIn Learning a final letter grade of B-minus, indicating that while the platform is above average, it is still missing some important features.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Initial Impressions and Overview of LinkedIn Learning

The speaker begins by expressing their low expectations for LinkedIn Learning, which they had been meaning to explore for over a year. They were surprised to find that the platform offers a variety of courses, including those from Lynda.com, and that it caters to a business-minded audience with topics like crisis management and software development. The speaker notes the platform's customization based on user interests and highlights the short, introductory nature of the courses, which focus more on concepts than on building a portfolio. They also praise the consistent production quality and the platform's clear standards for course creation, which exceeded their initial assumptions.

05:00

🤔 Pros, Cons, and Personal Reflections on LinkedIn Learning

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the pros and cons of LinkedIn Learning. They appreciate the platform's course selection and consistent production values, noting that the courses are well-organized and maintain a professional tone. However, they criticize the platform for being entirely video-based, which they believe can lead to passive learning. They also mention the presence of outdated courses and the lack of an option to purchase individual courses, which they see as a drawback for those who may only be interested in a single course. The speaker concludes with their overall impression, giving LinkedIn Learning a B-minus grade, indicating that while it is above average, it still lacks some important features compared to competitors like Codecademy Pro.

Keywords

💡LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses taught by industry professionals. It is a part of the LinkedIn ecosystem, which is primarily a professional networking site. In the video, the speaker explores the platform's offerings and evaluates its worth, mentioning that it includes the entire catalog of Lynda.com, and offers courses produced by non-Lynda individuals as well.

💡Lynda.com

Lynda.com is an educational website that was acquired by LinkedIn and its content was integrated into LinkedIn Learning. It is known for its high-quality video tutorials on various professional and technical topics. The script mentions that Lynda.com members can import their data into LinkedIn Learning.

💡Course Selection

Course Selection refers to the variety and range of courses available on a learning platform. In the context of the video, the speaker appreciates the diverse course offerings on LinkedIn Learning, comparing it to a 'civilized version of Udemy,' indicating a preference for serious, business-oriented topics.

💡Production Values

Production values pertain to the quality of the video and audio in the courses, including the clarity of recording and the use of professional equipment. The speaker notes that LinkedIn Learning has good and consistent production values, which was a pleasant surprise and contributes to the overall quality of the learning experience.

💡Web Developer

A Web Developer is a professional who designs and builds websites. In the script, the speaker mentions web development courses on LinkedIn Learning, noting the absence of extensive projects but a focus on introducing technologies, which is different from platforms like Udemy that offer more comprehensive project-based courses.

💡Software Development

Software Development is the process of creating computer programs and applications. The video discusses software development courses on LinkedIn Learning, emphasizing their introductory nature and the platform's focus on concepts rather than in-depth projects.

💡B2B Marketing

B2B Marketing, which stands for Business-to-Business Marketing, involves marketing strategies aimed at other businesses rather than individual consumers. The script mentions B2B marketing as one of the serious, business-minded topics available on LinkedIn Learning.

💡Crisis Management

Crisis Management refers to the process of handling emergencies or critical situations that could negatively impact an organization. The video script includes a personal anecdote about the speaker getting interested in a crisis management course on LinkedIn Learning, highlighting the platform's diverse course offerings.

💡Course Membership

Course Membership on LinkedIn Learning refers to the subscription model required to access the courses. The script explains that there are monthly and yearly membership options, which include additional LinkedIn Premium benefits beyond just course access.

💡Video-Based Learning

Video-Based Learning is an educational method that relies on video content for instruction. The speaker in the video points out that LinkedIn Learning is entirely video-based, which can be both a pro and a con, as it may lead to a passive learning experience rather than active engagement.

💡Outdated Courses

Outdated Courses refer to educational content that may no longer be relevant or accurate due to changes in the field or industry. The script mentions that while there is fresh material on LinkedIn Learning, there are also outdated courses mixed in, which can mislead learners if not carefully selected.

Highlights

Initial skepticism towards LinkedIn Learning dispelled after exploring the platform.

Entire catalog of lynda.com now integrated into LinkedIn Learning.

LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of courses, including those from non-Lynda creators.

Lynda.com members can import their data into LinkedIn Learning.

Courses on LinkedIn Learning are tailored towards business-minded individuals.

Course selection is customized based on user interests indicated during sign-up.

Most courses are short, ranging between one and three hours.

Focus on introducing concepts rather than in-depth projects.

Consistent high production values across courses.

Courses are updated, with publication dates displayed for relevancy.

Two membership options available: monthly at $29.99 or yearly at just under $240.

Membership includes additional LinkedIn Premium benefits.

Courses are video-based, which may not suit all learning styles.

Some courses are outdated, especially in tech topics.

No option for purchasing courses individually, only membership plans available.

LinkedIn Learning is compared to Udemy but with a more professional approach.

Final letter grade given to LinkedIn Learning is B-, indicating above-average quality.

Transcripts

not gonna lie when i signed up for

linkedin learning i was truly expecting

a steaming pile of dog

but i was actually kind of surprised

what the heck is linkedin learning and

is it worth your time and money in 2021

let's check it out hello everyone

welcome to

linkedin learning this is another one of

those platforms where it's been

on my list for literally over a year but

every time i ask people in a youtube

poll or whatever there's always this

chunk of people who are like candy

step away from the linkedin it's bad

it's outdated

the courses suck don't do it and usually

when people give me these warnings

they're right but before we go jumping

to conclusions let's take a look at what

linkedin learning is all about

so thing number one the entire catalog

of lynda.com is now on linkedin learning

you guys remember lynda.com linda has

a few thousand courses in various

categories

so now on linkedin learning we have

those linda courses scattered about

in addition to many others produced by

non-linda people

side note if you're a lynda.com member

you can import your data into linkedin

learning

under the manage your account settings

right here let's talk about some of

these courses and production values the

selection

of courses on linkedin learning is kind

of like a civilized version of udemy

it's like udemy with pantsuits whereas

you can learn how to juggle xylophones

and write haiku with banana peels on

udemy on linkedin learning you get

topics like crisis management b2b

marketing and all varieties of software

development

serious stuff geared towards

business-minded people or at least

people who use linkedin here on this

landing page linkedin

is showing me things i might like and

then up here in this banner area

we see the newest recommended courses

github code spaces first look getting

your first job in software development

sql

analysis for data developers depending

on the interest you indicated when you

signed up for linkedin learning

this list is going to be customized for

you let's pop into one of these courses

we'll go to learningreact.js by eve

porcello we have the video panel here

to our left we have the different

sections and video lectures

this course is short a lot of courses

i've seen here on this platform are

between

one and three hours most lectures are

just a few minutes

so very manageable in that way for the

software courses

especially with the web developer stuff

i'm not seeing a lot of projects there's

more of a focus on showing the

technology

rather than building stuff you can put

in a portfolio for example

that is one of the big differences i do

see between this platform and udemy

linkedin learning isn't doing these 60

hour life changing and let's be honest

sometimes

soul second courses with tons of

projects these are short introductory

concepts they're trying to get you

introduced to a concept so you can take

it further on your own time so it really

comes down to the style you prefer and

what you're trying to accomplish for

example if you're trying to go from

zero to job ready in a completely new

field one or two of these courses aren't

going to cut it but if you're just

trying to introduce yourself to a new

concept or exploring your options there

are some good

courses here for that now beneath the

video we have the course info

there's a q a tab a note section if you

want to take notes

along with the video transcript i'm a

software developer by trade so of course

my natural interest

is in tech courses like these but

exploring stuff outside of that domain

the production values are pretty

consistent

good recording quality good mics

obviously a lot of time and effort was

put into these courses and it's also

obvious that linkedin has a minimum

acceptable standard for these courses i

think that was surprising for me too

i just assumed it was gonna be crap on a

map like low effort

cash grab type stuff but no there are

some pretty good efforts here in the

video production

realm i actually got sucked into a

crisis communication course which i had

no intention of ever watching but the

organization of it is really good

when was the last time something

embarrassing or horrible happened to

your organization uh like four minutes

ago

anyway i also like that they display

when the course was published a lot of

competitor platforms won't do this but

with something like web development

courses

it is a critical factor so you know a

lot of web developer courses over two

and three years old they're just

hopelessly outdated

the publication date here can help you

make better decisions with what courses

to enroll in

how much does this thing cost you have

two options for linkedin learning

monthly membership and yearly membership

when you opt into that membership you're

officially a linkedin premium member

as a premium member you get some other

benefits i think you can stock profiles

without being

exposed i don't really know because i

don't use linkedin all that often but

you get some benefits there the cost for

that is 29.99 per month if you do the

yearly it's just under 240.

these prices are about standard for

membership education sites nothing too

surprising there

pros and cons of linkedin learning pro

number one i like the course selection i

think there's something here for just

about anyone like i mentioned earlier i

got sucked into a crisis communication

course

had no idea i would find it interesting

but i did and i like that there's more

than one choice for a particular topic

for example going back to react

lots of react stuff lots of different

python stuff even a collection here of

mini courses that you can bang out in a

half hour

i like it pro number two linkedin

learning has good consistent production

values like i mentioned earlier i

was not expecting this it's clear that

linkedin learning does expect a certain

standard

and whether i was checking out the

business courses or going into the

software stuff

it was consistent without being stifling

you could tell people were putting their

own signature their own flavors into

some of these courses but it never got

to a point of being distracting or

outside the business flavor of linkedin

that said i saw some cons with this

platform con number one

biggest drawback of this entire platform

in my opinion is that it is entirely

video based in a lot of ways i think

this style of learning can be a death

sentence for people it's

way too easy to just take that netflix

and chill mentality watch a video

next watch another video next take a

little two question quiz watch a video

next and you feel like you're making

progress but really you're just

hanging out watching interesting

documentaries con number two of linkedin

learning there

are outdated courses my audience is

right when i asked my audience what they

thought of linkedin one of the

criticisms again was that their stuff

is outdated now as you've seen so far in

this video

there is a lot of fresh material but

there are also duds

worked into the mix you have to watch

out for especially with a lot of the

tech topics

con number 2.5 only half a con because

this is not a deal

breaker there's no option of buying

courses a la carte you

have to buy a membership you can do

monthly you can do yearly but you have

to buy a membership

of course this isn't unique to linkedin

many of these learning platforms do

membership only

but if there's just one course that you

see that you find appealing

the minimum price of that course is

going to be 29.99

now depending on the topic that might

actually be a really great deal but what

if you don't have much time to spare

your goal is to finish that course in

maybe two months well now it just cost

you almost 60 bucks

so for people who don't have the time to

crank out a course in 30 days the

membership fees can start racking up and

remember there's a certain competitor

platform that sells individual video

based courses for

very cheaply so definitely assess your

options before taking the plunge

overall i wanted to hate this platform i

really did i went

in with a negative attitude because i

was not expecting

much and also linkedin's told me that

i'm a bot on numerous occasions because

i have a big network these clueless tech

recruiters are blowing up my inbox

getting on my last nerve i prefer to

network in person i am just not the

biggest linkedin fan but linkedin

learning has some good features

this platform reminds me a lot of you to

me in the good ways and the bad ways

lots of courses

interesting topics massive q a sections

it's video based

just jump in and start learning again

linkedin learning is like you to me with

pantsuits and if that's something that

sounds appealing to you

check this one out but if that sounds

terrifying to you

might want to not check this one out

overall score i'm giving linkedin

learning a final letter grade of b

minus meaning the platform is above

average but still missing some important

features for example codecademy pro is

the same exact price for an annual

subscription but you get so many more

features

if you want to check that video review

out it's popping up on your screen right

about now all in all i had low

expectations for linkedin learning but

in certain places i was very pleasantly

surprised what do you think am i being

too generous with linkedin learning or

is this platform worth it let me know in

the comments below and as always hope

you're having a great day and i'll see

in the next video