In a competitive job market, working professionals often seek ways to give themselves an edge when it comes to getting hired, promoted, or paid more. One of the most efficient ways to boost your resume and career is by earning a certification through an online or in-person course.
There are multiple benefits to earning a certification, including gaining new knowledge, updating existing skills, and making new professional contacts. This article explores several in-demand certifications that working professionals can quickly obtain and the benefits of earning a certification. Intelligent.com’s chief education and career development advisor, Huy Nguyen, also offers insight into selecting certifications and how to include certifications on your resume.
Why Earn a Certification?
Whether you’re a recent grad, mid-career professional, or someone seeking to enter a new industry, there are numerous benefits to earning a certification.
- Develop new skills and knowledge: Learning is a lifelong process, and enrolling in a certification course or program is an efficient, cost-effective way to expand your knowledge and skill set. Whether the certification focuses on learning hard skills for a particular job or industry or helps you hone transferable soft skills, you’ll end up with new tools in your toolbelt, making you a more attractive employee.
- Demonstrate willingness to learn and grow: “With the rapid pace of technology and industry change, employers are increasingly placing more value on candidates that can adapt and learn new skills on demand,” Nguyen says. Earning certifications shows current and potential employers that you have the ability and interest to learn and continue developing professionally.
- Establish credibility: Certification from an established school or professional development organization shows employers that you take yourself and your career seriously. Individuals who earn certifications can use their work in their courses as evidence of their expertise in their area of study.
- Expand your professional network: Whether you earn certification online or in-person, you’ll likely be able to connect with instructors and other learners, which can lead to valuable new relationships and opportunities. If you’re enrolled in an in-person course, find ways to engage with classmates and instructors in and out of the classroom. Those pursuing a certification online can use discussion forums and social media to connect with peers and teachers.
- Increase your earning potential: Having a wider range of skills and knowledge increases your value as an employee, and job-seekers can leverage their certifications for higher pay during salary negotiations. For current employees, earning a certification may help qualify you for a pay increase or promotion.
How to Choose the Certification That’s Right For You
Consider your interests and industry
The first step in choosing a certification for your resume is determining what skills or knowledge will best serve you in your current career or the career path you plan on pursuing, as not all certifications are appropriate for all workers. For example, earning a coding certification may have little value for someone who works in customer service and has limited computer-related tasks. However, learning a new language may be helpful if you interact with a wide variety of different populations. Your industry and the career paths you’re interested in pursuing are a guide to which type of certifications you should obtain.
Research in-demand skills
For industry-specific skills, read job postings and speak to hiring managers to find out what expertise they seek in job candidates. You can also consider what types of tasks you’ve encountered in your professional life and identify areas where you can improve existing skills or have gaps in your knowledge. If you want to gain transferable skills, Nguyen says, “Currently, some of the most in-demand soft skills include effective communication, collaboration in remote and in-person environments, technological savvy and digital literacy, and an understanding of basic artificial intelligence (AI).”
Review course provider and content
Hundreds of entities offer certifications, from post-secondary schools to professional organizations to for-profit companies. Once you have an idea of what type of certification you want to pursue, take some time to research different course providers and certification courses to determine which one best fits your needs and interests. Before enrolling in a certification course, read reviews of providers and courses to ensure you’re getting quality instruction and customer service, especially if you’re paying any tuition or course fees. Whenever possible, review the syllabus of certification courses to confirm that they are teaching the most current and accurate information.
Determine your logistical needs
What else is important to you besides finding a certification program or courses that’s easy? Are you seeking an in-person or online certification course? How much time can you devote to obtaining your certification? Some certification courses last just a few hours, while others may require weeks or months of coursework. Cost is another factor. Can you pay for a certification, or are you seeking a free certification? If you’re considering earning a certification as a stepping-stone to a full degree, ensure that you’re enrolling in an accredited program for which you can receive college credit.
Required Vs. Optional Certifications
It’s important to note that certification is required to be eligible for employment for specific jobs or industries. For example, to be a Certified Public Accountant, individuals must be licensed by their state’s Board of Accountancy. There are several steps in the licensing process, including earning a degree in accounting, passing a licensing exam, and completing a certain amount of general accounting experience. The certifications discussed in this article are not necessarily required for any particular job, but are recommended to help enhance a working professional’s resume and employability.
Easy Certifications for Resumes
Language
Speaking a second (or third or fourth) language is increasingly valuable in today’s global economy. Depending on the industry, type of job, and geographic location, being bilingual may be a requirement or give you an advantage over another candidate. Having a certification in a foreign language shows current or potential employers that you are confident in your ability to communicate verbally and in writing in multiple languages.
Project management
Effective project management is an indispensable and in-demand skill across multiple industries. Some project management certifications focus on specific approaches to project management, such as agile project management. Meanwhile, others help individuals develop the skills necessary to be an effective project manager, including leadership, collaboration, task delegation, budgeting, strategy, and more. This can be a beneficial certification for those interested in pursuing management or team-based roles.
Notary public
Notary publics are authorized by their state to serve the public as unbiased witnesses when performing legal formalities related to drafting or certifying contracts, deeds, and other official documents. Although the requirements for notary public certification vary by state, it is typically one of the most accessible certifications. It’s also an appealing certification for employers, who may find it beneficial to have a certified notary on staff for processing official documents. Those interested should note that a background check and exam are required for certification.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
“Although AI is in its infancy, many industries are interested in how they can implement and leverage AI in their businesses to increase capabilities and productivity and reduce operating costs,” Nguyen says. “AI proficiency is becoming a baseline expectation in many sectors, especially data-dependent sectors, like technology, finance, marketing, and healthcare.” Nguyen encourages individuals interested in pursuing AI certification to focus on courses that cover how AI can be used to impact businesses.
Computer programming
In an increasingly tech-dependent world, coding skills are handy across industries and jobs. Many coding certifications are available, from those that teach the basics like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to more in-depth bootcamps that prepare students for roles as software engineers and web developers. The ability to complete basic or advanced computer programming tasks can make you attractive to employers, who benefit from having someone in-house who can build or update a website or application.
Marketing
An individual who understands marketing principles and trends, especially social media and digital marketing, is very valuable to companies looking to expand their customer base and drive sales or visibility of their products and services. Marketing certifications are abundant, with courses focusing on SEO, email marketing, Google Ads, Google Analytics, and more. A variety of different online platforms offer marketing certifications, making this an easily accessible certification to obtain.
Data analysis
As more and more companies collect data about current and potential consumers, they need individuals with the skills and expertise to analyze and interpret that data. This makes a data analysis certification another valuable option for professionals seeking to add tools to their toolkit. Data analysis certifications typically focus on introducing students to software programs used to examine data, find patterns, and create data visualizations needed to share findings with other constituencies.
Photoshop
Although it’s possible to develop Photoshop skills independently, completing a Photoshop certification course can be an efficient way to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of Adobe’s popular photo editing and enhancing software. Even if you don’t work in a creative field, the ability to design and edit graphics can be beneficial for creating presentations, documents, posters, manuals, and more. Although you may have to pay for the software, many Photoshop certification courses are offered for free and can be completed within a few hours.
Communications
Communication skills are highly prized across industries, as most jobs require communication between individuals or groups. Communication certifications cover various skills and topics, including technical and business writing, public speaking and presenting, and interpersonal communications. This is an ideal certification for individuals looking to develop soft skills as a foundation for moving into leadership and management roles.
Excel and Microsoft Office
While most individuals are familiar with Microsoft Office Suite, completing a certification in this software can help individuals unlock the full potential of tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. This can be a helpful certification for individuals who work in an administrative capacity, as many offices and organizations rely on these popular programs for communication and organization.
How to Include Certifications on Your Resume
There are a few different options when listing certifications on your resume.
“Job-seekers can include relevant certifications in the skills section of their resume, as these reflect tangible skills where they have done formal learning and gained work experience,” Nguyen says. “Listing the title of the certification helps validate the knowledge you possess.”
Another option is to list certifications under the Education section of your resume, particularly if you earned your certification through a formal program at a post-secondary institution. If you have multiple certifications, you can create a separate sub-section to list them. However, include only the most relevant certifications on your resume so as not to overwhelm the recruiter or hiring manager reading it.