Below is an article originally written by Anacany Gardner, M.S., at PowerToFly Partner CarGurus, and published on July 11, 2019. Go to CarGurus' page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
At one point or another, we all have that moment when we realize that we're not exactly where we want to be in life. We may feel stagnant in our careers or maybe just feel like we're at a standstill. For me, that moment materialized the day I turned 30 in the summer of 2013. That Fall, I applied to and got accepted into Northeastern University as an adult learner (go Huskies!). I obtained my Bachelor's degree in 2015 and keeping that momentum, my Master's degree in 2017.
If you're anything like me, you love learning and you're constantly thinking up ways of becoming a better version of yourself. You're aware that personal development builds self-confidence, which in turn leads to success.
Ever since I graduated, I've made it a point to learn something new every day. Whether it's getting my hands on an e-book on compensation or self-studying at home for the Professional in Human Resources certification exam, my brain is always active and I'm always up for learning new skills.
I've had my eye on LinkedIn Learning for quite some time, but I couldn't quite justify the price tag that came along with it. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that I would be part of the pilot group for a LinkedIn Learning subscription through the awesome company I work for, CarGurus.
For those of you who aren't familiar with LinkedIn Learning, the platform offers bite-sized, high-quality and easy-to-digest courses led by industry experts, some of which you can watch in under 30 minutes. What's not to love about that?
Once I heard the news, I quickly bookmarked several courses, queuing up my course list within minutes of signing up like someone trying to binge watch a show on Netflix before their free trial ends. In the first week alone, I watched over 10 hours of video!
The first thing worth noting about LinkedIn Learning is the wide selection of courses available. Want to learn WordPress so that you can start a blog? Want to learn all about podcasts so that you can start one about…cats? How 'bout taking a deeper dive into Google Analytics, conflict resolution, or time management? The learning opportunities are endless, and I was SO there for it!
The second thing worth noting is the ease of use. You can watch a course from your mobile device, download it for offline access, and easily pick up where you left off if you can't complete it in one sitting. That's perfect for a commuter like me, who takes the train to and from Cambridge every day.
And lastly, once you complete a course, you can add it to your LinkedIn profile and show the world your commitment to learning!
My advice to you? Step out of stagnancy and take advantage of tools like this to personally develop yourself. The way I look at it, any time you invest in your own personal development is time well spent.
Here's the kicker (and this part only applies to my fellow Gurus, of course): CarGurus is rolling out LinkedIn Learning to all of its employees. Read that again. The leadership team here at CarGurus has generously agreed to purchase licenses for each individual employee. That's huge! Now, there's really no excuse not to learn JavaScript, C++ or Python. If you're left-brained and tend to be more creative/artistic, how does screenwriting, Photoshop, logo design or music theory for songwriters sound? My hope is that after reading this, you're intentional and commit to leading yourself. Bookmark what speaks to you like I did and queue up that course list so that you, too, can learn something new every day!
