Sharpen your professional skills; A LinkedIn Learning course is an online class or series of classes (dubbed a learning path) designed to increase your knowledge in a particular professional area. LinkedIn Learning courses and learning paths are pre-recorded, so you can learn whenever and wherever it makes sense for your busy schedule.
The best LinkedIn Learning courses are taught by industry experts, cover the target subject thoroughly, and present information in engaging, digestible bites. We carefully reviewed 10 courses before choosing our top picks. Read on to see which course may be best for your professional goals.
Best for Soft Skills: Master In-Demand Professional Soft Skills
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Why We Chose It: Master In-Demand Professional Soft Skills takes the top spot as the best for soft skills because the learning path (series of individual courses) helps you develop and refine the most essential soft skills employers want and expect.
What We Like
- Comprehensive soft skills curriculum
- Taught by industry experts
- Includes certificate of completion
What We Don’t Like
- No industry certification granted
- Limited student feedback available
We like this learning path since it presents soft skills training in a comprehensive yet engaging way. Common soft skills include emotional intelligence (understanding how other people feel), communication, critical thinking, and teamwork. This course of study is for anyone who wants to improve their soft skills and have better interpersonal relationships—both in and outside of the office.
This learning path contains nine hours of content across 11 pre-recorded video courses, which include:
- Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
- Building Resilience
- Embracing Unexpected Change
- Critical Thinking for Better Judgment and Decision-Making
- Why Trust Matters
- Teamwork Foundations
- Communication Foundations
- Effective Listening
- Persuading Others
- Writing in Plain Language
- Banish Your Inner Critic to Unleash Creativity
Videos are presented in bite-size chunks to accommodate your busy life. You’ll also have access to quizzes and downloadable material to enhance your learning.
Individual courses are taught by 10 industry professionals: Gemma Roberts, Tatiana Kolovou, Todd Dewett, Becki Saltzman, Rachel Botsman, Chris Croft, Brenda Bailey-Hughes, Dorie Clark, Leslie O’Flahavan, and Denise Jacobs. Among them, there are college professors, speakers, authors, and an organizational psychologist.
Each course is well-rated by other students, receiving thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of likes. Unfortunately, the LinkedIn rating system doesn’t allow for more detailed feedback, which could help to evaluate each class.
You’ll receive a LinkedIn certificate of completion for every individual course you finish as well as another when you complete the entire learning path. Select courses also grant continuing education units (CEUs), which you may need to maintain industry-related certifications.
LinkedIn doesn’t charge for individual courses or learning paths. Rather, you pay a monthly ($39.99) or annual ($239.88) subscription fee to get unlimited access to the platform’s entire educational library. LinkedIn offers a one-month free trial, so you can try the platform before making any commitments.
Best for Entrepreneurs: Become a Small Business Owner
Why We Chose It: Become a Small Business Owner is our pick as the best for entrepreneurs since the learning path outlines what you need to know to start your business on a solid foundation.
What We Like
- Robust entrepreneurship curriculum
- Taught by experts and business founders
- Includes certificate of completion
What We Don’t Like
- Lack of industry certification
- Minimal student feedback available
We like this learning path because it walks you through the various things you need to know to successfully—and legally—launch your small business.
Designed for anyone looking to make the leap to self-employment, Become a Small Business Owner includes 10 hours of video content and 11 individual courses:
- Guy Kawasaki on Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship Foundations
- Entrepreneurship: Finding and Testing Your Business Idea
- Understanding Business
- Creating a Business Plan
- Business Law for Managers
- Foundations of Raising Capital
- Finance Essentials for Small Business
- 20 Questions to Help You Start a Business
- Finance Foundations: Income Taxes
- Balancing Work and Life
Lessons are short and easy to absorb and include supplemental material like quizzes and downloadable worksheets.
During this path, you’ll learn from well-known entrepreneurship guru Guy Kawasaki and 10 other experts, including Kim Kaupe, Dave Crenshaw, Eddie Davila, Mike Figliuolo, Jo-Ná A. Williams, Jay Clouse, Earl Kay Stice, Jim Stice, and Dana Robinson. Instructors are business founders, authors, professors, speakers, and consultants.
This learning path is well-rated by many other learners. Individual courses received up to 13,600 likes.
You’ll receive a certificate of completion from LinkedIn for every course you finish. You’ll also get a learning path certificate of completion after you get through the last class. Check individual courses for CEUs granted, if any.
Best for Marketing: Develop Your Marketing Skills
Why We Chose It: Develop Your Marketing Skills won our best for marketing category because the learning path gives you the knowledge required to be successful as a modern online marketer.
What We Like
- Provides 13-hour digital marketing curriculum
- Taught by marketing experts, strategists, and consultants
- Certificate of completion provided
What We Don’t Like
- Doesn’t lead to industry certification
- Limited student feedback
We like this learning path due to its robust coverage of digital marketing concepts, such as content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). If you want to expand your digital marketing skillset, this could be an excellent course of study for you.
This path features nine individual courses with a total of 13 hours of video content. Individual courses include:
- Marketing Foundations
- Didigital Marketing Foundations
- Google Universal Analytics Essential Training
- SEO Foundations
- Content Marketing Foundations
- Social Media Marketing Foundations
- Marketing Tools: Digital Marketing Tools and Services
- Social Media Marketing: Strategy and Optimization
- Building an Integrated Online Marketing Plan
Since video lessons are short, you can squeeze in some study time whenever you have a spare moment. Develop Your Marketing Skills also features downloadable worksheets and integrated quizzes to keep you engaged and help you apply what you learn.
The learning path includes classes taught by marketing experts, consultants, and strategists, including Drew Boyd, Brad Batesole, Corey Koberg, David Booth, Brian Honigman, Anson Alexander, Martin Waxman, and Matt Bailey.
Users are pleased with this learning path; most individual courses have received thousands of likes, with two receiving over 10,000 such endorsements from previous students.
As you complete courses, you’ll receive certificates of completion as well as another one at the conclusion of the learning path. If you need CEUs, be sure to check for them under each course.
Best for Finance: Develop Your Finance and Accounting Skills
Why We Chose It: Develop Your Finance and Accounting Skills is our pick as the best for finance because the learning path helps you understand and manage the financial health of a business.
What We Like
- Solid overview of finance and accounting for beginners
- Taught by finance and accounting professionals
- Includes certificate of completion
What We Don’t Like
- No industry certification given
- Student feedback is limited
We like this learning path since it goes into depth about finance and accounting concepts, including budgeting, understanding financial statements, and interpreting and analyzing financial data. This course of study is designed for the beginner and can be a useful resource if you find yourself suddenly tasked with finance- and accounting-related duties at work.
This learning path comes with seven video courses with 14 total hours of content. The curriculum includes the following courses:
- Accounting Foundations
- Accounting Foundations: Bookkeeping
- Financial Accounting Foundations
- Business Tax Foundations
- Finance Foundations
- Finance Foundations: Income Taxes
- Corporate Financial Statement Analysis
You’ll learn from finance and accounting professors Earl Kay Stice, Jim Stice, and Michael McDonald. Course lesson videos are short so you can study when it’s convenient. Plus, to ensure you can remember and use what you learn, courses include quizzes, worksheets, and other downloadable resources.
As you get through each milestone in the learning path, you’ll receive a LinkedIn certificate of completion. At the end of the path, you’ll receive an additional certificate. Select courses may grant CEUs, so be sure to check for them if you need them.
Best for Project Management: Become a Project Manager
Why We Chose It: Become a Project Manager is our choice as the best for project management due to the learning path featuring a robust project management curriculum.
What We Like
- In-depth project management curriculum
- Taught by certified PMP professionals
- Includes certificate of completion
What We Don’t Like
- Doesn’t result in PMP certification
- Student feedback is minimal
We like this learning path because it teaches you the essential information you need to manage projects of any size. Designed for those who want to get into the project management profession, Become a Project Manager shows how to take a project from idea to completion—all while sticking to an established timeline, scope, and budget.
Become a Project Manager features 12 hours of video content, which spans these 10 courses:
- Project Management Foundations
- Project Management Foundations: Ethics
- Project Management Foundations: Requirements
- Project Management Foundations: Schedules
- Project Management Foundations: Budgets
- Project Management Foundations: Teams
- Project Management Foundations: Communication
- Project Management Foundations: Risk
- Managing Project Stakeholders
- Microsoft Project Quick Tips
You’ll study under certified Project Management Professionals (PMP) Bonnie Biafore, Bob McGannon, Daniel Stanton, Doug Rose, and Natasha Kasimtseva. If you’ve never heard of these professionals, you can visit their LinkedIn profiles to learn more about them before deciding to take their courses.
To supplement the videos, each course also includes quizzes to check your comprehension and other digital resources to extend your learning. To make learning fast and easy, videos are short and easy to digest.
This course of study does not result in PMP certification. However, you’ll receive a certificate of completion when you pass each class and finish the full learning path. If you need CEUs, be sure to check for them under each course.
Best for Sales: Develop Your Sales Knowledge and Skills
Why We Chose It: Develop Your Sales Knowledge and Skills gets our vote as the best for sales because the learning path helps you genuinely connect with your prospect, earn their trust, and close the sale.
What We Like
- Comprehensive sales curriculum
- Led by sales experts
- Results in a certificate of completion
What We Don’t Like
- No industry certification granted
- Limited student feedback available
We like this learning path since it will help you develop the skills you need to win sales while using strategies that feel authentic. If you’re new to sales or want to improve your close rate, this could be the learning opportunity for you.
Develop Your Sales Knowledge and Skills contains nine hours of video content and 10 courses:
- Sales Foundations
- Selling with Authenticity
- Asking Great Sales Questions
- Selling with Stories, Part 2: Stories Great Sales People Tell
- Sales: Handling Objections
- Sales Negotiation
- Sales: Closing Strategies
- Following Up After a Sales Meeting
- Networking for Sales Professionals
- Soft Skills for Sales Professionals
Videos are brief sound bites, making learning easy to squeeze in when you have a break in your schedule. To gamify your learning experience, courses involve short and fun quizzes. To cement new concepts into your brain, you’ll have access to downloadable worksheets and suggestions for further reading.
You’ll learn from sales experts Jeff Bloomfield, Elizabeth Lotardo, Lisa Earle McLeod, Paul Smith, Dean Karrel, Steven Benson, Robbie Kellman Baxter, and Meridith Elliott Powell. Among these professionals are authors, coaches, consultants, executives, founders, speakers, and strategists. To get more insight about your instructors, visit their LinkedIn profiles.
The majority of learners seem satisfied with this learning path. Most of the courses have received multiple thousands of likes.
To note your achievement, you’ll get a certificate of completion for every course you finish. When you get through the last course, you’ll get a certificate for the entire learning path. Need CEUs? Be sure to check for that information under each class.
Final Verdict
The LinkedIn Learning library is vast and ever-growing, which is why we couldn’t possibly name a “Best Overall” course. Due to the number of classes available, it may be challenging to find the best one for your learning needs and goals. However, our top picks for each professional discipline should give you a great place to start your search.
Before you commit your time and effort to any LinkedIn Learning course, we encourage you to research it thoroughly. That way, you’ll select the one that fits best with your career aspirations.
Best LinkedIn Learning Courses
| Course | Category | Notable Features | Course Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master In-Demand Professional Soft Skills | Best for Soft Skills | Helps you hone your soft skills to promote better interpersonal relationships | 9 hours |
| Become a Small Business Owner | Best for Entrepreneurs | Gets your small business started on a solid foundation | 10 hours |
| Develop Your Marketing Skills | Best for Marketing | Provides the knowledge, skills, and tools you need to market a product or service effectively | 13 hours |
| Develop Your Finance and Accounting Skills | Best for Finance | Teaches you how to understand and manage the finances of a business | 14 hours |
| Become a Project Manager | Best for Project Management | Gives you the skill set needed to manage a project from beginning to end | 12 hours |
| Develop Your Sales Knowledge and Skills | Best for Sales | Increases your close rate without resorting to tactics that feel inauthentic | 9 hours |
How Do LinkedIn Learning Courses Work?
LinkedIn Learning courses are completely virtual and asynchronous, which means you can access the content anytime from any device. To take the classes, you’ll need to create and log in to your LinkedIn account. You can also download the courses to a mobile app and continue your studies offline. Transcripts of each course are also available if you need them.
Designed for busy professionals, courses are broken up into short, digestible pre-recorded videos covering subtopics under the main course umbrella. To keep you engaged and reinforce your learning, classes feature periodic quizzes, worksheets to accompany the material, and other resources for future reference. At the conclusion of each course, you’ll receive a LinkedIn certificate of completion.
Are Courses on LinkedIn Learning Free?
Courses on LinkedIn Learning aren’t free. While the platform (formerly called Lynda.com) doesn’t charge you for each class, you must pay either a monthly ($39.99) or annual ($239.88) subscription fee. The fee gives you unlimited access to the entire LinkedIn course library. If you pay annually, you’ll save 33%. LinkedIn offers a one-month free trial, so you can explore the different courses and decide if an ongoing subscription is right for you.
How Can You Tell If a LinkedIn Learning Course Is Good?
You can tell if a LinkedIn Learning course is good by looking at a few different parameters, including:
- The background and expertise of the instructors
- The depth of the curriculum
- Feedback from other learners, as indicated by their “likes”
Of course, your experience may differ from other students based on your current skill level, career goals, and expectations.
What Are the Benefits of Taking LinkedIn Learning Courses?
There are many benefits of taking LinkedIn Learning courses, including:
- Increased knowledge in your professional area
- An updated industry skillset
- A LinkedIn certificate of completion to display on your profile
- Potential raise and promotion opportunities at work
- Possible continuing education units (not applicable to all courses)
Taking a LinkedIn Learning course can also help you take pride in your commitment to your professional development and feel more confident in your abilities on the job.
Who Are LinkedIn Learning Courses Best For?
LinkedIn Learning courses are best for professionals who want to:
- Learn a new skill
- Brush up on existing knowledge
- Prepare for a promotion or career change
- Demonstrate their commitment to continuous growth
LinkedIn Learning courses can also be great for people who like to study new things for fun.
How We Chose the Best LinkedIn Learning Courses
We closely examined 10 LinkedIn Learning courses before naming our top six choices. We factored in the curriculum, instructor expertise, and learner engagement. We also considered course popularity indicated by the number of likes received from other students.
All of our top picks provide a breadth of information on the subject being covered and are designed to help professionals perform better in their roles and feel more confident in their careers.
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