Group or Individual Instruction – Which Works Better for You?

Group or individual instruction – which works better for you? You might have a strong preference for one option or the other. Or it may be that either can work for you, depending on the topic and other factors.

In this blog post, I focus on learning about LinkedIn in a group or class versus in a private tutoring session. Currently, about 90% of my private tutoring sessions, classes, and trainings are about LinkedIn.

Along with teaching LinkedIn classes for the Colorado Free University for many years, I’ve provided LinkedIn trainings in many other settings. Examples include business networking groups, service organizations, professional and trade associations, nonprofit boards, job seeker groups, and company teams.

My private LinkedIn tutoring sessions date back to when I started my business part-time in 2010. Over time, I’ve adapted these sessions to address people’s questions and frustrations about LinkedIn. Also, I have developed a set of topics that I believe are important for LinkedIn users to understand.

Here are some things to consider when deciding whether you want to learn about LinkedIn (and other topics) in an individual or group setting.

Groups or Classes

• In groups or classes, you can learn from other attendees, in addition to learning from the speaker or instructor.
• The instructor/speaker’s answers to questions posed by other attendees can provide you with additional useful information.
• Learning with others in a class where you don’t know each other in advance can provide networking opportunities. Conversely, learning with others in a group where you know the members can help deepen your connections with them.
• The class or training might not be tailored to your level of understanding of the topic.
• You may be overwhelmed in a group class or team training if you aren’t familiar with the topic. Or you may feel that your understanding of the topic is leaps and bounds ahead of the other attendees.

Private Tutoring

• In private tutoring, sessions are customized to meet your needs and geared to your level of understanding of the topic.
• You get all the individual attention you require.
• Your tutor may be available on an informal basis to answer questions that occur to you after the session. This availability is less likely to occur when you take a class or participate in team training.
• The fee for private tutoring is usually more expensive than the cost of taking a class. Also, your employer or organization sponsoring the training may pick up the group or team training cost, but not pay for private sessions.
• There may be topics that you don’t think to bring up that you would learn about in a group setting.

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those ages 55 and older, to become more comfortable using social media, particularly LinkedIn and Facebook.

She works with business owners, business development professionals, leaders of nonprofit organizations, job seekers, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.