Celebrate back-to-school season with these 7 free online courses

September is an exciting time on campus, with new and returning students beginning their studies, research and innovations — often mere metres away from our workplaces. In the fall, feelings of growth, renewal and inspiration permeates through campus — so, why not ride that wave into your own personal development?

“Even more than New Year's, I feel like the beginning of the fall semester is the time of personal and professional regeneration on campus.” says Karey Reilly, manager of talent and development at UCalgary.

“It’s a great time to reset and evaluate what milestones we want to achieve before the end of the semester or year, and what skills we need to get there,” she adds.

Now with LinkedIn Learning, every UCalgary faculty and staff members can take part in the infectious spirit of learning on campus, anytime, anywhere and free of charge. Take these seven courses this fall and prioritize your professional and personal development.

• Creativity Bootcamp: Not just for designers or writers, creativity is something we all possess — and further develop with practice. This Creativity Bootcamp is a fun, hands-on course that will help you to innovate and inspire solutions to any hurdle in work or personal life through five interactive training exercises.
• Finding Your Time Management Style: Your time management style is as unique as you are, and there’s no one solution that works for everyone, everywhere, all the time. If you’re inspired to boost your productivity this fall, take this one-hour, personalized course to help you achieve your goals using time management.
• Persuading Others: In this course, you will learn how to make your ideas and thoughts heard through the noise of a modern, busy workplace environment. Learn from communications and brand experts how to influence those around you genuinely, authentically and with authority.
• Leading with Purpose: It’s no surprise that purpose-driven leaders and organizations tend to be more successful in the workplace. Learn about your personal leadership story, and craft a purpose statement that can help you flourish at work, and also in your personal life.
• Building Rapport with Customers: Rapport is an important part of any new or professional relationship. In this course, you’ll learn how to set yourself up for success each time you interact with a customer, client or colleague. This skill can be used every day in the workplace, or in more specific situations like diffusing conflicts and delivering bad news.
• Being an Effective Team Member: We all want to be our best selves at work, but what does it mean to be an effective team member? Learn what makes you an invaluable member to your team, increase your self-awareness and demonstrate collaboration and reliability in your everyday life.
• Taking Charge of Your Career: Navigating your career means being able to adapt and stay relevant to the changing tides of the modern workplace. This course is designed for anyone who wants to take charge and plan the next move — whether it's choosing a career, negotiating a promotion, or changing fields.

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Growth and development is one of the 13 factors illustrated in the National Standard. The University of Calgary is a recipient of the Excellence Canada Mental Health at Work Silver Level Certification in this area. Visit WellBeing and WorkLife to learn more about the implementation of the National Standard at the University of Calgary and to learn about existing programs and resources that support each of the 13 Factors.