The Fullerton College Career Center hosted a virtual seminar on Wednesday that took a deep dive into navigating LinkedIn, LinkedIn Learning and all the benefits students can get out of the online service while also reinforcing the importance and convenience it offers for finding a job.

The virtual seminar was hosted by Cheyenne Mann, a Professional Expert in internships and workforce at the Career and Life Planning Center. She covered a variety of topics, including how LinkedIn learning benefits students, how to navigate, create a profile and the overall benefits of utilizing LinkedIn Learning.

The meeting was attended by four students who were all given a chance to share what they hoped to get out of the meeting, ask questions and obtain information on the LinkedIn platform.

The sites premium feature LinkedIn Learning offers a wide variety of courses, learning paths and videos for students to complete and to expand their skill sets. These include things like critical thinking and problem solving, organization, collaboration and leadership skills. Students can search for specific subjects and software that interest them as well. There are courses for learning Photoshop and graphic design, learning how to run a small business and even finances and accounting to name a few.

Completing courses in LinkedIn Learning will allow students to earn certificates, licenses and continuing education credits, all of which are from accredited organizations. Once they earn these achievements, they can add the certificates to their LinkedIn profile and resume when applying for a job as well as any other skills and abilities that seem noteworthy. LinkedIn also offers job alerts and interview preparation exercises, such as with common interview questions.

The service usually costs money for the public, but students who attend Fullerton College can get access to the service for free. All students have to do is register through the Career and Life Planning Center and request access to a free account.

The meeting also emphasized how to use LinkedIn to earn networking skills. Students can follow and interact with companies and schools they’re interested in by commenting, reposting and liking their posts. The more they interact, the more likely students will stick out and be recognized. There is also a feature where LinkedIn users can endorse, similar to referencing, each other and their skills in order to confirm their legitimacy. Networking is a huge part of LinkedIn as it provides a platform for job seekers to build a name for themselves and connect with others.

Kiara Reyes, one of the students who attended the virtual seminar, shared her thoughts on the experience.

“I really enjoyed being able to learn how to connect with others through such a prominent platform and understand the importance of how to network with others. I also enjoyed learning about LinkedIn Learning and the simplicity of the program,” she said.

The virtual LinkedIn seminars are held once a month, and there are only two left for the semester: one on Thursday, November 12, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m and on Thursday, December 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. More information on future seminars is available at the Fullerton College Career Center website or by contacting Cheyenne Mann at (714) 992-7121.