Amid the COVID-19 lockdowns across the world, remote work has become a key focus, with millions of professionals finding new ways to maintain focus and productivity outside the office environment.
And that, logically, has lead to many seeking out advice and guidance to help them maximize their WFH effort. That focus is reflected in LinkedIn’s listing of the most popular LinkedIn Learning courses of 2020, with two of the top three courses directly related to remote working.
As explained by LinkedIn:
“The pandemic has changed how we work, live, socialize – everything – and these top courses show that people have spent time learning how to be more productive remotely, create work/life balance, and communicate with virtual teams.”
As noted in the video, over 3 million people have undertaken the top 20 LinkedIn Learning courses this year, which underline several key focus areas, including remote working, project management, personal branding, and the old classic, maximizing usage of Excel (mastering pivot tables still feels like a major accomplishment).
LinkedIn also notes that there’s been a bigger focus on emotional intelligence and effective listening in 2020, which is likely tied into the broader #BlackLivesMatter movement, and having more empathy and understanding for all your colleagues and business partners.
Also worth noting is the focus on programming, which is increasingly in demand:
“The proportion of total job postings looking for professionals with Python skills is up 29% year over year.”
The full list provides some interesting context into the current professional environment, which is likely to undergo a significant shift as we look to move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
It may well be worth investing the time to sharpen up your skills in these key areas.
Here’s the full list of the top 20 LinkedIn Learning courses of 2020 thus far:
1. Time Management: Working from Home
5. Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
6. Excel 2016 Essential Training
7. Excel Essential Training (Office 365)
8. Communicating with Confidence
9. Cert Prep: Project Management Professional (PMP)®
10. Project Management Foundations
12. Learning Personal Branding
13. Interpersonal Communication
15. Improving Your Listening Skills
16. Microsoft Teams Essential Training
