Moodle LMS - is there a way to gain experience if you don't use it at work?

[Trumpetoftheswan2]

Hi there, I've been trying to move roles for a year now with no joy. I work in learning/training design and manage an LMS which unfortunately isn't Moodle. 'Extensive experience in Moodle' is in the essential criteria part of so many JDs that, in a very competitive market, having 20+ years of experience in L&D and transferable skills isn't enough.

Is there a way to gain 'extensive experience' of Moodle if you don't have access to it at work? I've spent thousands in further training in an attempt to move sideways into a larger organisation, so would prefer not to spend too much more, but accept that this might be necessary.

I think a masters is out of the question because of how long it would take and how expensive it is. It's also pretty demoralising creating learning that will never see the light of day.

TIA

Moodle is open source software so it's free. If you're reasonably techy you can set up a Moodle server yourself. Or you can buy a years access to MoodleCloud (an online server run by a third party) for about £100. They also do a free 28 day trial.

There's a load of information about getting started with Moodle freely available online, or you can pay for courses through the Moodle Academy programme.

Thanks. Yes, I've done the Moodle Academy courses so understand how to use it - it's the extensive experience bit that I don't have. I didn't know about the MoodleCloud option - I'll look into that.