Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller, Multimedia Developer for UCIL and Ethical Grand Challenges, tells us how he uses LinkedIn Learning

How did you get started with LinkedIn Learning?

I had my own account and was using it before I joined the university. The courses, particularly the ones focused on digital design software are well respected in the industry. The first course I took was on how to use Adobe Premiere to edit video. LinkedIn learning allows you to download videos to practice editing on and works through them with you. It was a total success and I was successful in a job interview where I had to do a Premiere editing test. I was sold on online learning after that.

How do you choose what to study?

I use a lot of creative software in my role and I can't know it all back-to-front. If I know I've got a project or task coming up that involves, for instance, logo design. I'll have a look through the Adobe illustrator course. I won't take the whole course but you can easily skip to the bits that are relevant to you and these are all well labeled. One of the best things about LinkedIn learning is that if you get an account you can use it outside of work for your own interests. I've taken a couple of the photography courses (which are worth signing up for alone!) and you can opt to take assignments to complete. There's no one grading your work but it's a good exercise and motivation to learn.

How do you manage your LinkedIn Learning studies?

My manager is fully bought-in to online learning and I'm able to manage my own studies. It's easy to let self-directed study drop off your priority list but I'll schedule time in my calender to remind me to do it. I also discuss it in my PDR and in meetings with my manager so it's seen as part of my role. If I can spend a couple of hours studying something now which saves days of time in future it's definitely worth it.

Any tips for users getting started?

I think start by finding something you're interested or fascinated by, even if it's not work related. That way you'll really see the power of the learning like this and be able to transfer that to your work skills. It's also worth looking at courses related to things you do every day. For example there's a 2 hour course on Outlook that teaches tips and tricks you'll use every day to make your tasks more straightforward.