18 Best LinkedIn Learning – Lynda Courses (Free and Paid)

The advent of online learning in the 21st century has facilitated education without boundaries. It’s also bridged the skills gap and unlocked limitless opportunities for both employees and employers.

The global online learning industry is growing and set to hit $325 billion by 2025. Many global brands are utilizing online learning platforms to train their workforce.

LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com, is one of the leading online learning platforms with over 17,600 courses delivered by seasoned and experienced professionals. LinkedIn Learning provides opportunities for professionals to develop relevant skills through a personalized learning experience.

It’s a well-known fact that organizations look for individuals with relevant skills during recruitment and promotions.

In this article, we’ll show you some of the best LinkedIn courses to help you improve your skills.

Best LinkedIn Learning – Lynda Courses (Free and Paid)

1. Excel 2016 Essential Training by Dennis Taylor

Top of our list is the training on the use of Excel. This course provides insights on how to master the popular Microsoft Excel program. You will learn how to input, store and organize data, and build charts and pivot tables.

This course also teaches fundamental operations such as creating single and multiple spreadsheets, formatting data and cells, and performing simple computations.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded/on-demand lecture videos.

The average study time for this course is 8 hours, 53 minutes.

The course also includes one project file, 15 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion.

The instructor has delivered over 600 live Excel webinars on Excel from 2006. He also teaches 43 courses on LinkedIn Learning. Over 817,510 learners ranging from students, researchers, and professors have previewed this course.

What you will learn?

This course will teach you how to use essential Excel functions, including IF, VLOOKUP, COUNT, and COUNTIF, etc. You will also learn how to run tasks, programs, and macros, and use tools (Goal Seek and Solver) for data analysis.

The course covers the following topics:

1. Introduction to Excel
2. Data entry
3. Using formulas and functions
4. Formatting your Excel sheet
5. Printing your Excel sheet
6. Creating charts
7. Working with multiple worksheets and workbooks
8. Working with functions
9. Data analysis and management
10. Using pivot tables
11. How to automate your work using Excel macros

Pricing

The pricing for a single time purchase of this course is $44.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, a payment of $26.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access over 17,000 expert-led courses.

Requirements

Learners should be able to use a PC at a beginner level.

2. Project Management Foundations by Bonnie Biafore

This course provides a solid foundation for professionals seeking to develop excellent project management skills. It equips learners with basic principles of planning, initiating, and executing projects.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded/on-demand lecture videos.

The average study time for this course is 3 hours, 20 minutes.

The course includes one project file, 9 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion.

This course is an accredited program designed for licensed professionals and thus qualifies for continuing education units. About 830,778 learners have enrolled for this course.

LinkedIn Learning is an approved education provider by the Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI).

The instructor is an award-winning writer and project management consultant and teaches 29 courses on LinkedIn Learning.

What you will learn?

This course will teach you the art of managing projects based on scope, budget, and schedule. You will learn how to use project management tools such as Microsoft Project. Additionally, you’ll gain competence in how to develop project plans and programs, monitor progress, and performance.

Topics covered in this course include:

1. Understanding project management
2. How to develop a project plan
3. Developing a project schedule
4. Running a project and working with teams
5. Project monitoring and control
6. Measuring progress and performance

Pricing

At the moment, this is a free course.

Requirements

The course structure is simple and thus there are no prerequisites to learning for this course. However, students must be willing to put in the study time to get the most out of it.

3. Entrepreneurship by Guy Kawasaki

This course examines a wide range of topics bordering on business and entrepreneurship. This course emphasizes the importance of creating and implementing your action plan.

This course is interview styled and delivered by Guy Kawasaki. The instructor is a Chief Evangelist at Canva, a LinkedIn Influencer, and a brand ambassador at Mercedes Benz.

Course delivery is in English, and transcripts are available. Over 71,618 learners have watched this course.

What you will learn?

You will learn how to formulate winning business strategies to help you achieve a competitive advantage. You will also learn how to harness social media to build your business.

Topics covered in this course include:

1. The key characteristics of prototyping
2. The attributes of a minimum viable, valuable, and validating product (MVVVP)
3. Delivering great business pitches
4. Social media, a useful marketing tool
5. Growth of social media

Pricing

You can access over 17,000 expert-led courses including this course by subscribing to the LinkedIn Learning. A payment of $19.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

4. Online Marketing Foundations with Brad Batesole

This course focuses on developing strategies to reach and engage potential clients in the digital era. It also teaches practical steps to promote your business in the digital space using target digital marketing techniques.

This course is vital as it stresses the importance of developing digital assets and footprints for your brand. It also simplifies complex digital marketing terms and explains how to utilize marketing funnels to achieve results.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded/on-demand lecture videos.

The average study time for this course is 4 hours, 20 minutes.

The course includes two project files, 14 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion.

Since this course is an accredited program designed for licensed professionals, continuing education units are available.

This course qualifies for professional development units at the Project Management Institute (PMI). It’s also a part of a study path endorsed by the American Marketing Association.

More so, this course forms a part of the Continuing Professional Education credit (CPE) for the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

The instructor is a growth marketing consultant and marketing author on LinkedIn Learning and teaches 20 courses. Over 211,909 learners have enrolled for this course.

What you will learn?

This course will teach you how to build a compelling brand, business, and marketing strategy. You will also learn how to utilize digital marketing assets to achieve significant results.

Key topics presented in this course include:

1. Developing a digital marketing strategy
2. Digital marketing and analytics
3. Search engine optimization
4. Search engine marketing
5. Email, mobile, and video marketing
6. Content and influencer marketing
7. Social media marketing

Pricing

At the moment, this is a free course.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

5. Risk-Taking with Sallie Krawcheck

This course sheds light on the art of risk-taking and practical approaches to managing risk. You will also learn about the importance of risk-taking, whether you are an entrepreneur or a top executive.

The course has an interview styled delivery in English with rich content. Transcripts for this course are also available.

The instructor is an entrepreneur, a senior corporate executive in the financial service industry, and a LinkedIn Influencer. Over 49,971 learners have watched this course.

What you will learn?

In this course, you will learn how to evaluate risk and make a decision to proceed or not. Learners will also learn how to reduce risk and the risk associated with entrepreneurship and business.

Pricing

You can access over 17,000 expert-led courses including this course by subscribing to LinkedIn Learning. A payment of $19.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

6. Developing Executive Presence with John Ullmen

This course shares vital insights on how you can maintain composure under strenuous conditions and periods of uncertainty. It also explains how you can always project self-confidence and develop a positive aura.

The skills covered in this course include executive leadership and communication.

The course delivery is via pre-recorded/on-demand lecture videos. Over 620,938 learners have previewed this course.

The average study time for this course is 1 hour, 12 minutes.

The course includes access on tablets and phones and a certificate of completion.

The instructor is an author, a leadership consultant, and a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He teaches 10 courses on LinkedIn Learning.

What you will learn?

You will learn how to make things happen at the right time and how to be emotionally intelligent and proactive. You will learn how leaders with executive presence act.

Essential contents of this course include:

1. Insight on executive presence

2. Thought and action patterns to develop executive presence

3. Emotional patterns to develop executive presence

Pricing

The pricing for a single, one-time purchase of this course is $39.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, payment of $26.99/month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access 17,000+ expert-led courses.

Requirements

The course structure is simple, and thus there are no prerequisites to learning this course.

7. HTML Essential Training with James Williamson

HTML is one of the most popular programming languages used to develop web pages. It forms the basic building blocks of the web and provides meaning and structure to web pages.

This course focuses on providing fundamental knowledge on the use of HTML. You will learn the basic syntax, how to write and edit HTML codes, create hyperlinks, etc.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded/on-demand lecture videos.

The average study time for this course is 5 hours, 54 minutes.

The course includes one project file, 8 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion. Over 177,767 students have previewed this course.

The instructor is a senior author and Adobe-certified instructor.

What you will learn?

In this course, you will learn how to explore HTML documents, format contents, and insert images. You will also learn how to create links to pages, lists, and page styling.

Topics covered in this course:

1. Introduction to HTML
2. Creating and formatting HTML pages
3. Structuring your HTML page, creating links, and lists
4. How to style HTML pages
5. Writing basic scripts

Pricing

You can access over 17,000 expert-led courses including this course by subscribing to LinkedIn Learning. A payment of $19.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access.

Requirements

This course is beginner-friendly and a prerequisite for professionals who are pursuing their careers in web development.

8. Python Essential Training by Bill Weinman

Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. Python skills are in high demand amongst recruiters.

This course focuses on the basic principles of Python and how to develop scripts and maintain new and existing projects. You will also learn to apply these scripts in the real world.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded or on-demand lecture videos.

The average study time for this course is 4 hours, 37 minutes.

The course includes one project file, 16 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion. Over 549,941 learners have previewed this course.

The course instructor is a freelance author and teaches 14 courses on LinkedIn Learning.

What you will learn?

In this course, you will learn about the anatomy and structure of the Python language. You will learn basic concepts such as types and values, conditionals and operators, and how to define functions, etc.

Contents of this course include:

1. Introduction to Python
2. Overview and components of the Python language
3. Loops and functions
4. Types and values
5. Modules and databases

Pricing

The pricing for a single, one-time purchase of this course is $49.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, payment of $26.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access 17,600+ expert-led courses.

Requirements

This course is beginner-friendly and a prerequisite for professionals who are pursuing their careers in programming and data science.

9. Javascript Essentials with Morten Rand-Hendriksen

Javascript is also a popular programming language. It has become a key component of mobile and web applications. This course introduces the basics and core principles of Javascript. It also provides an in-depth understanding of the implementation of Javascript through projects and examples from the instructor.

Course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded/on-demand lecture videos.

The average study time for this course is 5 hours, 29 minutes.

The course includes one project file, 12 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion.

The course instructor is a web developer and teaches 48 courses on LinkedIn. Over 323,162 learners have gone through this course, and they range from software developers to tech consultants.

What you will learn?

You will learn how to work with data, Javascript, and DOM. Learners will learn how to edit and troubleshoot codes, validate functionalities, and work with loops.

Topics covered in this course include:

1. Introduction to Javascript
2. Working with data, functions, and objects
3. Javascript and the DOM element
4. How to edit, troubleshoot, validate, and minify Javascript

Pricing

At the moment, this is a free course.

Requirements

This course is beginner-friendly and a prerequisite for professionals who are pursuing their careers in programming, especially Javascript.

10. SEO with Danny Sullivan

This course provides valuable insight into the power of Search Engine Optimization and how businesses can harness their potential to boost their online visibility and presence. This course also explains how to look out for trends and events and relate them to business activities.

The course has an interview styled delivery in English with rich content. Transcripts for this course are also available. Over 53,317 learners have previewed the course.

The instructor is a digital marketing expert.

What you will learn?

1. Introduction to Search Engine Optimization
2. Developing SEO skills
3. Increasing online visibility using SEO

Pricing

This course is not free. You can access over 17,000 expert-led courses including this course by subscribing to LinkedIn Learning. A payment of $19.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

11. Managing Compassionately with Jeff Weiner

In this course, the course instructor, the CEO of LinkedIn, explains how to exercise compassion in leadership. Speaking from personal experience, he shares how his past experiences became valuable learning points and the influence of his business approach.

This course teaches you effective and ineffective management styles. It also illustrates how organizations can increase productivity and profitability by establishing a healthy corporate culture.

Over 103,109 learners have previewed this course.

What you will learn?

Topics covered in this course include:

1. Managing compassionately
2. Driving results through compassionate management
3. How to develop a healthy corporate culture
4. Avoiding conflict and promoting teamwork

Pricing

This course is not free. You can access over 17,000 expert-led courses including this course by subscribing to LinkedIn Learning. A payment of $19.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

12. Scrum: The Basics with Kelley O’Connell

This course delves into the basics of Scrum, one of the world’s leading project management platforms. You will learn how to manage complex projects using Scrum.

After this course, you can use the Scrum tool to manage your project and monitor performance effectively. This course will teach you how to set goals and objectives for your projects and to solve problems using the Scrum tool.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded/on-demand lecture videos. The average study time for this course is 1 hour.

The course includes 5 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion. Over 593,616 learners have previewed this course.

This course is an accredited program designed for licensed professionals and thus qualifies for continuing education units.

The course instructor is an agile trainer and process innovator.

What you will learn?

Some of the key topics in this course include:

1. The Scrum framework
2. Solving problems with Scrum
3. Assigning roles to team members
4. Creating a work plan with Scrum
5. Tracking project progress

Pricing

The pricing for a single, one-time purchase of this course is $24.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, payment of $26.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access 17,000+ expert-led courses.

Requirements

This course is for beginners and intermediate project management professionals.

13. Excel 2016: Advanced Formulas and Functions by Dennis Taylor

This course begins with a review of the essential Excel functions and shortcuts that will enable learners to achieve speed while working in Excel. The later part of the course focuses on advanced Excel formulas and functions and practical steps to solving problems in the real world.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded or on-demand lecture videos. The average study time for this course is 6 hours, 18 minutes.

The course includes one project file, 12 chapter quizzes, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion.

The instructor has delivered over 600 live Excel webinars on Excel from 2006. He also teaches 43 courses on LinkedIn Learning. Over 511,140 learners ranging from students, research fellows, professors have previewed this course.

What you will learn?

Some of the key topics in this course include:

1. Advanced formulas and functions
2. Reference and lookup functions
3. Power, date, and time functions
4. Math and statistical functions
5. Text and information functions

Pricing

The pricing for a single, one-time purchase of this course is $44.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, payment of $26.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access more than 17,000 expert-led courses.

Requirements

This course is for intermediate and advanced learners.

14. Git Essential Training with Kevin Skoglund

This course teaches you how to use Git, one of the most popular control software for managing source codes for projects. You will learn the essential concepts behind the Git architecture and how to use efficient management source codes.

The course delivery is in English, via pre-recorded or on-demand lecture videos.

The average study time for this course is 2 hours, 55 minutes.

The course includes one project file, access on tablet and phone, and a certificate of completion. Over 200,433 learners have previewed this course.

The instructor has over 15 years of experience in teaching and web development.

What you will learn?

Some of the key topics include:

1. How to install Git on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers
2. Git tree architecture
3. Applying Git to projects in the real world

Pricing

The pricing for a one-time purchase of this course is $34.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, payment of $26.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access 17,000+ expert-led courses.

Requirements

This course is for beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners.

15. Managing Conflict by Fred Kofman

This course focuses on learning how to manage conflicts. Using a real-life story, the instructor explains how listening and negotiation can become useful conflict management tools. This course also teaches you how to transform conflicts into positive situations.

The instructor is a leadership development advisor at Google. As at the time of this writing, 178,330 learners have previewed this course.

What you will learn?

Key learning points from this course include:

1. Understanding people
2. Negotiation skills
3. Committing

Pricing

This course is not free. You can access over 17,000 expert-led courses including this course by subscribing to LinkedIn Learning. A payment of $19.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

16. Business Etiquette: Phone, Email, and Text

This is one of the best LinkedIn courses on customer care with over 550,193 learners. As a customer care staff, it’s easy to be indecisive on what reach-out channel to use – is it better to call, send an email, or send a text message?

That’s specifically what this course will help you figure out; which communication method to use and when.

What you will learn?

The course is handled by Suzanna Kaye and begins with email, addressing everything from signatures to the proper tone of voice.

She also goes over how to utilize autoresponders effectively, acknowledge email receipts, and email follow-up when receivers don’t respond.

In the long run, this course helps you in evaluating email conversations to ensure that recipients are not misinformed.

You get to learn all about text etiquette, which includes what to say and what not to say in a text message. It also covers basic business communications including letters, payment requests, and thank-you notes.

The last part of the course covers phone etiquette, which includes proper greetings, voicemails, out-of-office messages, and others. The Business Etiquette course costs $29.99.

Pricing

The pricing for a single time purchase of this course is $29.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, a payment of $26.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access over 17,000 expert-led courses.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

17. Learning Git and GitHub

Git and GitHub are of high importance to developers. Git is the most widely used version control system on the internet today.

However, some developers, especially the new ones don’t know their way around them. If you’re under such an umbrella, you should be taking this Learning Git and GitHub course offered by Ray Villalobos.

What you will learn?

Ray Villalobos takes you step-by-step through the essential commands you’ll need to deal with the vast majority of Git projects. Notably, the course covers commits and branches in detail.

Commits let you make notes about what happened at each checkpoint, and branches allow you to work on a different version of your project without affecting the original. This is a must-have knowledge to use Git and GitHub.

Furthermore, you’ll learn how to browse existing projects on GitHub, copy them locally, and then save them as templates that you can use for personal projects.

Pricing

The course costs $34.99. It comes with lifetime access to this course and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, a payment of $26.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access. You can also access over 17,000 expert-led courses.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

18. Marketing: Copywriting for Social Media

With the appropriate words, anyone can compel an audience to take action. However, finding the appropriate words for each audience can be a challenge.

This course, by Michaela Alexis, an instructor, and personal branding specialist, teaches you how to use copywriting tools and tactics to help you succeed on social media and establish a brand voice. Notably, this course has over 25,000 learners.

What you will learn?

What you’ll learn are tested and trusted copywriting techniques and how to leverage buyer personas to write better content.

Using LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as examples, Michaela shows you how to customize your copy for each of these networks.

Michaela also provides tips and tools for improving blog readability by removing spelling and grammar errors and incorporating A/B testing and user feedback.

Pricing

This course is not free. You can access over 17,000 expert-led courses including this course by subscribing to LinkedIn Learning. A payment of $19.99 per month (billed annually) guarantees full library access.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites to learning this course.

Is LinkedIn Course Worth It?

If you’re considering buying a course for LinkedIn Learning, then you should know that LinkedIn Learning is particularly useful for those seeking a new job, promotion, salary raise, or for those looking to spruce up their resume.

Companies prefer to hire those who are proactive and motivated, so you might as well learn new skills that will make you stand out from the pack.

In essence, LinkedIn Learning focuses more on career-related topics and courses, and it represents a large percentage of business and technology courses.

Another benefit of LinkedIn Learning is the convenience of bite-sized videos. These are designed to be short but packed with information. They also let you take notes during the videos, as well as a search box and a full transcript.

Besides being convenient, the videos can be viewed in full-screen mode, making them easier to follow.

Conclusion

Investing in personal and career development can be rewarding.

I encourage you to evaluate and select the course that will provide a valuable return on your learning investments.