Staying competitive requires more than just acquiring new skills. It means keeping those skills relevant and in demand. (Especially when the job market is tough!) To stay competitive, many professionals turn to platforms like LinkedIn Learning for accessible courses on various topics.
But there’s a more personalized and dynamic alternative: mentorship. Here are a few reasons why every professional should leverage mentorship to grow, even if they’re already using traditional learning and development tools like LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Learning: Strengths and Pitfalls
LinkedIn Learning, with its extensive library of video courses, provides a wide range of topics across industries, from technical skills like coding to soft skills like leadership. The platform’s on-demand format allows users to learn at their own pace, making it a flexible option for busy professionals.
However, one major drawback of LinkedIn Learning is that it often follows a “one-size-fits-all” approach. While this can be helpful for general knowledge, it falls short when it comes to addressing specific knowledge gaps or unique career goals. Courses are pre-recorded and designed to appeal to a broad audience, meaning that certain content may be too basic for some learners while being too advanced for others.
In contrast, mentorship offers a highly personalized learning experience where mentors assess your individual needs and provide guidance that’s tailored to your specific goals and skill level.
Keeping Up with Industry Trends
LinkedIn Learning’s video courses can become outdated as the industry evolves. Although LinkedIn updates its course catalog regularly, the production and approval process for new content takes time, which can lead to delays in delivering the latest insights to learners.
Mentors, on the other hand, bring current and first-hand industry knowledge. They are actively involved in their fields, allowing them to provide up-to-date advice that reflects the latest trends and developments. With mentorship, you get real-time insights that keep you ahead of the curve – typically before those ideas reach a more general audience.
The Flexibility of Mentorship
While LinkedIn Learning offers the flexibility to learn at your own pace, mentorship takes flexibility to a whole new level. Unlike static courses, mentorship is a fully customizable experience.
Mentors work with you to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and career goals, shaping the learning process to fit your schedule and objectives. This adaptability allows you to delve deeper into areas where you need the most help, skip over material you’ve already mastered, and shift focus as your needs evolve.
Stay More Engaged with Mentorship
No doubt, LinkedIn Learning is a popular tool. Many workplaces even require employees to log a certain number of hours completing courses to achieve organizational learning and development goals.
But, according to a study by Devlin Peck, only 20% of employees complete an online course after enrolling (Source). Why? Video courses often aren’t engaging, because they aren’t personalized. Even if you’re very interested in a topic and are eager to master it, you may be likely to tune out for a bit watching video after video.
Mentorship, on the other hand, is the most engaging form of learning and development. All mentorships are for the benefit of the mentee, even though all mentors also grow from the interactions. As a result, mentees can feel free to let their mentors know their goals, and get the exact support they need to achieve them.
Building Connections Through Mentorship
LinkedIn Learning might be great for acquiring skills, but it doesn’t foster the kind of networking and relationship-building that can significantly impact your career.
Mentorship connects you directly with professionals who have real-world experience and established networks. Beyond teaching, mentors can open doors to new opportunities, offer job referrals, and provide guidance that goes beyond the scope of any online course. These connections are especially valuable in today’s job market, where who you know can be just as important as what you know.
Of course, having a mentor can’t guarantee you’ll land your next opportunity. But, by expanding your network, you can discover new opportunities in new ways. Video courses can’t offer that.
Mentorship: the cost-free alternative to L&D
Some workplaces offer complimentary access to video courses like LinkedIn Learning to their employees. But, if you don’t have the advantage of enjoying employee-provided access, you have to pay for LinkedIn Learning.
Mentorship, however, is a cost-free solution for all professionals to learn and develop. While coaches and consultants may use mentoring techniques to guide their clients, there’s one key difference. Coaches and consultants have clients – who pay them.
Mentors want to share their advice, insights, perspectives, and experiences free of charge in order to help others grow at the individual level. Mentors also know that by giving back, they can create changes company-wide, industry-wide, and even community-wide.
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Catapult your Career with Mentorship
LinkedIn Learning continues to be an invaluable resource to help us develop new skills. But, as we’ve seen, it has its limitations.
Why not add to your current learning and development? If you’re serious about upskilling and career growth, mentorship provides the kind of hands-on, customized support that static learning platforms simply can’t match.
With Upnotch, you gain access to a diverse network of mentors in all industries and career levels from six continents. Upnotch members are committed to helping you succeed, no matter where you are in your professional journey.
Join Upnotch today — for free — and unlock the personalized support that can transform your career!
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