I am a Linkedin Learning Instructor!

IT service desk careers and certifications from IT Service Desk Careers and Certifications by Sarah Lean

Last year I was approached by the team at LinkedIn Learning. They asked me if I wanted to write a training course for their platform.

I was flattered.

After chatting with the team, I had a couple of options: write a new course or revamp an existing one.

After considering both options, I choose to revamp an existing course. The course I would be updating would be one covering the role of the IT Service Desk.

Choosing this option was an excellent option for me because I started my career at the IT Service Desk and believe starting your IT career on the Service Desk is a great place.

Course Creation: Step One

Now that I had selected my course, I got to work.

The first stage was to create the table of contents. I had a spreadsheet to fill in with the name of the chapters for my course and assigned a description and learning goal to each chapter.

This was fairly straightforward. I had the previous course to use a template (although I didn’t copy it!). The LinkedIn team had some great insights from the other courses I could use and feed into what my course would look like.

Approval: Step Two

With the table of contents completed, it got sent back to the LinkedIn team for approval. From what I understand, this is a formality in most cases. However, it can result in some iterations to your course outline.

Getting Started: Step Three

With my course approved, it was time to start writing the scripts. Each chapter of my course had to have a script; this was for two reasons:

• I was working with an editor/producer, they checked each script to ensure it made sense and covered the learning goals for the course;
• It would make recording much easier and quicker.

As part of creating the script, I made some slides that could be shown during the course.

My course isn’t a technical one with demos or hands-on parts. It’s a knowledge-sharing course, so it was important to have that visual aid for people.

The LinkedIn Learning team was great with helping to jazz up my slides and make them more effective and visually appealing.

My producer was also great at picking up parts of my scripts that weren’t quite right and adjusting them or suggesting edits for me.

Recording: Step Four

With the scripts all written, it was time to get recording. I had to record my voice and also the slides. LinkedIn provided me with a microphone and also the software I needed.

They also provided instructions and assistance in getting things set up; it was a straightforward process.

There were specific scripts that I managed to read out and record all in one go. Other times it took quite a few tries to get the recording done.

But as I am used to public speaking and recording videos, it was a familiar process for me and nothing onerous at all.

Editing: Step Five

All my recordings were sent to the LinkedIn Learning team, which carried out all the edits. I didn’t have to do any of that. So I could relax.

Course Release: Step Six

Several months after recording, my course was released! (We had the Christmas break in between recording and release, so that slightly delayed things.)

It was a really proud moment to have the course released, although it was also an anxious time as I was now worried people wouldn’t enjoy it.

The course has been out for nearly two months now, and people seem to be engaging with it well and enjoying it. Many people have tagged me on LinkedIn to say they have completed and enjoyed the course.

The Course

IT service desk careers and certifications from IT Service Desk Careers and Certifications by Sarah Lean

I am proud of the course and think it’s an excellent place for people to go to and learn about the IT Service Desk. The course is split into six sections:

• The IT Service Desk: this covers what the IT Service Desk is and does.
• IT Service Desk Technical Skills: This section covers the technical skills you need to develop while working on the IT Service Desk.
• IT Service Desk Nontechnical skills: It’s not all about technology; other skills are needed while working in the IT Department.
• IT Service Desk Certifications: This covers certifications and training courses that are helpful when developing your career.
• IT Service Desk Paths: This section explores more about what your career path could look like working in the IT department.
• IT Service Desk Workplace Scenarios: Here I talk about what it’s like to work on the IT Service Desk when everyone is in the office, what it’s like when people aren’t, and the challenges that comes with it.
  

Do check out the course, folks, and share it with anyone you think might benefit from it!

And if you have any questions about becoming a LinkedIn Learning Instructor, please contact me.