LinkedIn launches Learning and updated desktop site

LinkedIn is making a major change to its desktop site because it needs to be more in line with the mobile application. In addition, LinkedIn Learning has gone live with courses and training from Lynda.com.

CEO Jeff Weiner made the announcement at a press event in San Francisco. The social media company has made the biggest changes to the main feed where users see updates from their contacts. Access to your own profile has also been addressed. The chat function now works in a similar way to Facebook and Gmail with a small chat window at the bottom right of the screen.

The company has also started building bots. Initially, the bot will help users set a date through Google calendars, but this feature is not yet available for normal users. LinkedIn does not want to go too fast with the incorporation of new features, Fortune writes.

In addition, the company wants to retain its users by offering LinkedIn Learning: this service uses the courses of Lynda.com, which was acquired by LinkedIn last year for 1.5 billion dollars. LinkedIn itself was acquired by Microsoft for $26.2 billion this year. LinkedIn can draw on the data that users of the site have entered in their resumes to offer the right courses and training. LinkedIn therefore believes it can be an important addition to how professionals keep their skills up to date and thus can further develop their careers.

According to LinkedIn’s CEO, the ‘shelf life’ of certain skills has fallen to less than five years and people would find it necessary to acquire new skills. Offering “highly personalized, data-driven learning experiences” should help with this, according to LinkedIn’s blog.