LinkedIn is currently offering free soft skills courses, open to everyone, including students and working professionals.
The aim of this initiative is to align with LinkedIn’s commitment to supporting those affected by job losses and meeting the demand for soft skills in the digital economy.
These courses cover essential skills like communication, teamwork, adaptability, and critical thinking, all highly valued by employers. For instance, in today’s dynamic workplace, soft skills such as interpersonal and communication abilities are crucial for success.
By participating in these courses, students can enhance their emotional intelligence, resilience, and collaboration skills, leading to faster promotions and better career opportunities.
Here are the soft skills courses currently available on LinkedIn:
Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
Psychologist and author Dr. Gemma Leigh Roberts explains the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in building strong work relationships and adapting to change effectively. She assists individuals in becoming more self-aware, and identifying triggers that may affect performance. Gemma also guides them in aligning intentions with impact to foster collaborative relationships.
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Building Resilience
Many struggle to perform under pressure, often withdrawing during tough times. But by enhancing resilience, individuals can better navigate adversity and offer a sought-after skill to employers.
In this course, Tatiana Kolovou, a professor at the Kelley School of Business and professional communications coach, teaches techniques to strengthen one’s “resiliency threshold.” She presents five training methods for preparing for difficult situations and five strategies for reflecting on them afterward. Participants assess their resilience level, set goals, and acquire strategies to bridge the gap.
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Preparing Yourself for Change
Navigating change, whether in personal or professional spheres, presents challenges, especially amidst today’s rapidly evolving world. In this course, business psychologist Erin Shrimpton equips individuals with tools to not just endure but flourish in uncertain times.
Erin starts by examining common psychological reactions to change and then offers techniques and strategies to navigate workplace transitions effectively. Participants learn to safeguard themselves and leverage change as an opportunity for growth in various aspects of their lives.
Critical Thinking for Better Judgment and Decision-Making
The pace of change and the abundance of daily information present challenges in decision-making. Individuals frequently resort to biases and rules of thumb, leading to flawed conclusions. Successful teams employ critical thinking, employing objective analysis to reach sound decisions.
This course equips leaders with tools to enhance critical thinking across their organization. Participants learn to identify and avoid fallacies, recognize cognitive biases, strengthen argumentation, refine judgment, and enhance decision-making. Instructor Becki Saltzman guides learners in acquiring skills to foster innovation, address challenges, and adapt to change effectively within their company or team.
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Time Management Fundamentals
Productivity expert Dave Crenshaw offers solutions for maximizing time efficiency in his course. He presents theoretical and practical foundations for productivity enhancement, addressing common obstacles.
Participants learn strategies to boost productivity in three key areas: organization habits, mental focus, and time budgeting. If seeking ways to manage time more effectively, this course could prove invaluable.
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Essentials of Team Collaboration
In this course, corporate trainer and author Dana Brownlee guides participants on effective team collaboration. Learners discover strategies for proactive collaboration, including asking key questions, clarifying expectations, and fostering synchronization.
Dana shares techniques for refining team purpose, utilizing preferred communication modes, and integrating feedback to enhance collaboration. Participants gain valuable insights and actionable methods to minimize miscommunications and mitigate common collaboration challenges.
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Communication Foundations
Instructors Tatiana Kolovou and Brenda Bailey-Hughes teach participants how to communicate more effectively in their courses. They introduce the four building blocks of communication—people, message, context, and listening—and demonstrate their application in various professional scenarios. Through the use of vignettes and practical tools, learners acquire skills to convey messages effectively and professionally in meetings, email messages, pitches, and presentations.
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Writing in Plain Language
In this course, online writing expert Leslie O’Flahavan guides participants on plain language writing, a contemporary communication philosophy. She explains techniques to focus content, add structure with tables and lists, use active voice, and adopt a direct, personal style for clarity and confidence. Through practical instruction, learners discover how to create content that facilitates understanding and aids readers in accomplishing tasks effectively.
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Negotiation Foundations
In this course, leadership coach, negotiation expert, and author Lisa Gates demonstrates the core skills of interest-based negotiation to achieve win-win outcomes consistently. Participants learn a step-by-step strategy for negotiating workplace issues, including asking for raises or promotions and resolving conflicts.
Lisa covers techniques such as diagnostic questions, anchoring, framing, and labeling, which aid in navigating impasses and fostering satisfaction on both sides of the bargaining table. Throughout the course, learners discover how to prepare for negotiations, cultivate influence, find agreement even when declining, and negotiate remotely. Lisa also shares her top negotiation tips and provides worksheets for skill practice.
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Managing Conflict
Veteran HR leader Laurie Ruettimann offers strategies to manage conflict effectively in her course. Participants learn to recognize conflict signs and apply problem-solving tactics with tact and diplomacy. Laurie explains how to distinguish conflict from bullying and when to seek third-party intervention.
Additionally, she discusses overcoming conflict with colleagues and addressing various scenarios such as disengagement, hostility, or stress. Participants also discover techniques for managing conflict with superiors and leading others through conflicts, regardless of their role. The course highlights how practicing conflict management in personal situations can enhance conflict resolution skills in professional settings.
