8 LinkedIn Learning Courses To Do Before Your MBA

More than a third of potential business school applicants in 2020 said they felt they needed to upskill to get a job. But why not start upskilling before you arrive on campus? 

LinkedIn Learning courses specialize in teaching specific individual skills, in short, easily digestible courses via video. There are more than 16,000 to choose from, covering anything from coding to catering for parties. 

Here are eight LinkedIn Learning courses you should consider before your MBA. 

1. Financial Modeling & Forecasting Financial Statements 

All MBA programs include finance modules, and finance is one of the three most popular industries for MBA graduates along with consulting and technology. 

Having an understanding of financial modeling and being able to read a company’s profit and loss statement before you arrive on campus will help during finance modules. You can learn these skills with this course delivered by Kay and Jim Stice, two professors of accounting at Brigham Young University. 

2. Time Management Fundamentals 

Your MBA will ask a lot of you. You’ll have coursework to complete, exams to study for, internships to organize, and that’s all before you have started networking. 

Successfully navigating an MBA requires good time management skills, and the same is true for your post-MBA job. As the working world moved online this year, time management became even more essential, and the Time Management Fundamentals course was one of the most popular on LinkedIn Learning this year. 

3. Excel Essential Training

The Excel Essential Training course is available for Mac and Office, and is delivered by Dennis Taylor, a spreadsheet expert who has written multiple books and given more than 500 webinars on Excel. 

The course is just over two hours long, and provides beginner and intermediate excel knowledge, which is essential for any data analysis tasks you will undertake during business school. Once completed, there are many more excel courses taught by Dennis to choose from so you can continue becoming an Excel expert. 

4. Project Management Foundations 

Project manager is a common career for MBA graduates, and it’s likely you will have to work on both group and solo projects during your program. Having some knowledge of best project practices will be helpful. 

Project Management Foundations will show you how to establish your goals, develop a plan, keep on top of your workload and finish on time. It is delivered by Bonnie Biafore, a project management consultant and author with over 20 years of experience in the industry. 

5. Communicating With Confidence 

Public speaking is a key skill in business, whether you are delivering a pitch to a client or just communicating internally with your team, it is important to be clear and confident. This is why Communicating With Confidence was one of the 10 most popular LinkedIn Learning courses in 2020. 

MBA programs often require you to present a project you have worked on, to your peers or even a panel of faculty members, and taking this course will help prepare you for those tricky situations. 

6. Strategic Thinking 

The strategic thinking LinkedIn Learning course teaches how to be strategic when taking decisions and leading a team.  You will learn to consider every potential impact of your decision, whether that be long term or short term, and will become capable of making effective strategic decisions. 

MBA programs emphasise management and leadership skills, and usually include classes in business strategy and strategic decision making. This course will help you become a leader during your time at business school. 

Read: Is LinkedIn Learning Worth It?

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7. Python Essential Training

Programming has become an increasingly sought after skill, and top MBA employers like Apple, Oracle, and Deloitte all list python as one of the fastest growing skills they look for in both employees and applicants. 

The Python Essential Training course has been in the top 10 most popular LinkedIn Learning courses since 2019, and it is taught over 15 modules, taking just under five hours to complete. 

8. Improving Your Listening Skills

One of the most popular LinkedIn Learning Courses, Improving Your Listening Skills, teaches how to listen well and also ensure that you are being listened to. 

Teacher Dorie Clark is a business professor at Duke Fuqua and Columbia business schools, as well as a writer for Harvard Business Review. During the course she will show you how to stop yourself from interrupting other people, and help you develop into a good listener who hears what is being said, as well as what isn’t. 

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