Free Online Certifications On A Resume
Yes, listing free online certifications on a resume can be useful.
For example, if you’re in a marketing role, then the HubSpot inbound marketing certification course can be useful to list.
While this course is free. And easy to take online, it still shows a desire to advance yourself.
Because it is an online certification, does not mean that is loses its capacity to impress hiring managers.
Pro tip: Research and review which certifications could be required for your job title before applying for the position.
Why consider taking certifications online?
In some cases, college students may receive college credit for completing these courses.
Additionally, managers see this as a way of advancing yourself. And it shows that you’re genuinely interested/passionate about joining the industry.
This could be a great technique for an entry-level candidate or recent graduate to display that they’re a valuable hire.
Free Code Camp Certifications
Free Code Camp can teach you the basics of HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, GitHub, and more. Today, coding is a hugely in-demand technical skill, and this type of skill set makes almost any employee more valuable to a companyreally, weve seen it first-hand!
Earn quick certifications that can be added to your resume, and when youre ready, gain some free experience by working on open source projects used by nonprofits. This course is geared toward beginners, walking you through each challenge in a step-by-step manner.
When The Employer Requires Specific Certifications
One of the most important reasons to include your certification on your resume is when it is an employer’s requirement. Some employers may require a certain certification for open positions. In these circumstances, candidates must meet the requirements for employers to consider them for employment. Before submitting your job application, be sure to research the company and review the job listing to determine whether the employer requires any certifications.
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Heres How To Put Engineer
EIT , also known as EI in some states, is a certification awarded to those who have passed their FE examination and have graduated.
They are now licensed to practice their work as an Engineer-In-Training in their state.
However, in certain cases, there are those who passed their FE exam but have not yet graduated.
Some have graduated but are still waiting to receive their certification or license number.
If that is you, you may have some questions such as:
Do I include EIT on my resume?
Where do I put my EIT certification?
What is the proper way of adding EIT based on my circumstance?
Or maybe, you received your EIT certification and are just curious about how to include it on your resume.
Well, here are your answers!
List The Certifications Title
Using a font and font size that you included previously in the resume, list the full title of the certification as a bullet under the heading Certifications. Be sure to type the name correctly and to spell out any abbreviations. If the potential employer or hiring manager is unfamiliar with the certification, they will need to be able to conduct an internet search using the full title.
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Where To Put Certification On Resume
This question holds a lot of importance for the fact that recruiter gives just 6 seconds to the resume.
Thought the certifications section could be placed in a resume just after the Education section to make more sense as certification is part of education.
But, to play it smartly you can add up a certification in your career summary to highlight it in the best possible way.
Let us look at this summary:-
In this example, this operations manager has very smartly highlighted the six sigma certification in the resume summary.
This is not to say that this certification will not go in the certification list on the resume.
But it is to play it correctly so as to make the major impact on the recruiter.
If The Employer Specifically Requires Certification
This is perhaps the most important reason you might choose to include your certification on your resume. If an employer lists a certain certification under the requirements for employees, you may not be considered for employment unless the employer knows you are sufficiently qualified. Before applying for a job, be sure to consult the company website and the job listing to find out if any certifications are necessary.
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Save Resume Space For The Most Important Information
Listing online courses doesnât take up valuable space on your resume that could instead be filled with actual relevant experience. Letâs get to that in a bit.
Online courses, such as those taken on Coursera or Udemy, should be carefully assessed using the above checklist. In addition, itâs more important to surface the backing institution than the actual platform the course was taken on .
Taking an online course that doesnât necessarily yield official certifications may still be useful for advancing your career. Although not required, taking courses can show interest in a particular field. This can be especially useful to candidates targeting a job that requires skills not highlighted by the rest of your resume.
Some online courses only help demonstrate part of the required proficiency. These can be left out of your resume along with any others that arenât taught by a well known institution. Lessons taught by the less official online courses can still be useful. For example, they would be great talking points with prospective employers. Save the valuable space on your resume!
Online Courses Vs Certifications
Is online course work applicable to list? Or only certifications?
This is a great question.
Some online certifications or online courses are very useful to list. Once again, they are determined on the type of job you’re applying for. And how helpful it can be.
Pro tip: Seek career advice of a mentor, friend, or industry professional. Ask them to review your resume for gaps, missing certifications, or education requirements for the career path you aim to go down.
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A Dedicated Section For Certifications
You can dedicate a section named licenses and certifications on your resume. If there are space limitations, using a one-word headline for the certification section on your resume will suffice.
Example of the certifications section:
- Certified Clinical Research Coordinator | Association of Clinical Research Professionals2012/08
- Licensed Practical Nurse | National Association of Practical Nurse Education and Service2010/05
If The Certification Is Relevant To The Position You Are Applying For
Depending on your career field, having specific professional certifications may be a requirement to work for a company. You might need a certificate to hold a particular position. Examples include:
-
Dental Assistant Certification
-
Teaching Certification
If you hold certification relevant to your job search, update your resume to include them.
With the rise in companies using applicant tracking systems to streamline the hiring process, adding your certifications could be the key to rank higher than other applicants. Hiring managers use ATS to set specific keywords and other criteria essential to an open position. Theres a good chance that a potential employer would use certifications as ATS keywords if they are relevant to the job.
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Include The Certification Title
List the full name of the certification, not just its common name or abbreviation.
Example: If you are a Certified Professional through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals:
-
Incorrect: ACRP Certified Professional or ACRP-CP
-
Correct: Association of Clinical Research Professionals Certified Professional
If The Certification Supports Your Current Career Goals
Another reason to list certifications on a resume is to show that they align with your career goals. This could mean including certificates that show progression within a specific career field. If your changing careers, your certification might show your desire to excel within a new field. Including these certifications is a great way to get noticed by a hiring manager.
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Expand Your Knowledge And Skills
Obtaining a certification can help you update or sharpen your skills in your field. It’ll also allow you to learn new techniques that will help you expand your knowledge in your industry. The more knowledge you gain, the more efficiently you’ll be able to perform your job and the greater your chances will be of landing a new opportunity.
Format To Use For Listing Certifications
There are certain conventions that you should keep in mind when listing certifications.
- Chronology:List your certifications in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent certification or any that are underway.
- Validity: Dont list certifications that have expired or lapsed. Be vigilant about your certification renewals so theyre always current.
- Acronyms: Write the full forms of any certification acronyms at least once, so that even recruiters, unfamiliar with your area of expertise will not miss them.
- Format: Here is an efficient format for presenting the details of any certification:
- Name of Certification
Cisco Certified Network Professional Cisco Systems2008
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Using Expired Certifications On A Resume
It is not acceptable to list old or expired certifications on a resume. If you have a certain certificate from a course or license from a degree etc. that has a possible expiry date, it is vital that you renew your certification before this date in order to include it on your resume.
In the case youre taking a course or have not yet completed the necessary requirements to be licensed in a specific area, you can include these certifications, simply by adding in progress to the description and stipulating the anticipated completion date.
Finally, it is very important to not include any certifications that you do not possess, that is to say it is strongly advised not to lie on a resume!
To Demonstrate Additional Skills
In some cases, your certifications might prove that you possess certain valuable skills beyond those that the job listing requires. For instance, if you apply for an administrative assistant position and list your A+ IT certification on your resume, the potential employer will know that you are highly skilled with computers, which may increase your chances of landing an interview.
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To Show Industry Experience
Some certifications require a specific amount of experience, usually in terms of years of expertise. If you want to show your tenure within an industry, then listing your professional certifications is ideal. For example, to become a Chartered Professional Accountant , after receiving your bachelor’s degree, you must complete an additional one to two years of on-the-job training.
Is It Only To Stand Out
Listing certifications on a resume that are irrelevant to the job application, only to make your resume stand outis not suggested.
Hiring mangers, who aren’t specifically asking to see job-specific certifications, would much prefer to see work history.
And replacing valuable work history real estate with certifications isn’t going to assist the manager. Or help applicant tracking systems who are looking to scan for useful details in your work section.
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Should You Put Certifications On Your Resume
It is a good idea to include a professional certification on your resume if :
Its relevant to the job to which you are applying
Its a real, recognized certification
You have actually earned and have proof that you did
In short, there are many types of certifications that belong on resumes and can give you a boost in your job search.
Say It Loud Say It Proud
A few decades ago, a typical job application process might begin by your filling out a relatively cursory application form. After winnowing out a few applicants , employers then conducted personal interviews until one or a few satisfactory potential hires were found. Resumes for midlevel jobs in that environment were more the exception than the rule. This process inevitably puts great emphasis on the face-to-face interviews.
Today, interviews still count, but your job application form and especially your resume have become at least equally important perhaps more important in the sense that you can’t get to the interview unless your resume survives evaluation by a professional Human Resources staff.
Rather than simply trying to find a potential employee that “worked” the comparatively informal 20th-century practice professional HR staffs today quickly screen and sort resumes, often hundreds of them for a single opening, looking for anything that gives that applicant an edge. Even when they’re not mandatory, certifications are effective ways of gaining that edge. They show that you’re motivated, disciplined and more than ordinarily well-prepared for the job. They deserve as much prominence in your resume as you can reasonably give them.
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Include The Name Of The Host Organization
In order to verify the validity of your certification, you will need to list the name of the association who awarded it to you. Be sure to spell this out as well and proofread for any typos. If you are submitting your resume digitally, you may be able to insert a link to the organizations website directly into your resume to make your readers research easier.
How To List Certifications On Your Resume
Every certification you list on your resume requires the following information:
You can also include certifications that youre currently working on by adding In Progress next to the name of the certification, and including the date youll complete it:
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Provide Details About The Related Skills
While it is not a requirement, it can be beneficial to list any relevant skills that relate directly to your certifications. If you choose to include any associated skills or competencies, be sure to include them under your completion or prospective completion dates. This way, employers can see right away the unique skills that qualify you for the job to which you are applying.
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Tips To Show Certifications In A Resume
Your resume is the mirror of your past life, including your academic credentials, special achievements, previous employments, personal information and hobbies. Your resume should best describe about yourself. Your resume includes anything that may be helpful for you to get a good job that you are interested in. Along-with the academic information, it is equally important to mention the information about your professional certifications in resume. The following article mentions some tips to show certifications in resume.
Many professionals, while writing a resume, make a mistake of focusing on the education and experience section and not giving much importance to mention professional certifications. As a result they ignore any additional information that can enhance their qualification and help to stand-out from other applicants. Any professional certifications that can make impact on your career should be listed in resume. Tips to show certifications in resume are listed below:
How to write Certifications in Resume:
Importance of Certifications in Resume:
The above tips to show certifications in resume will definitely help you to some extent in improving your resume quality. Decorating your resume with the list of the certifications will add glow to your resume and help stand-out from the bundle of resumes.
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Where To Put Certifications On Resume
Recruiters dont spend a lot of time perusing resumesonly a few seconds, in fact. So its crucial to find the right place for your certifications on your resume so they are easily noticed.
Depending on the importance of each qualification, and the job youve applied for, you can decide where on your resume youd like to list all relevant certifications.
#1) Contact Information Section
This is the ideal place for highlighting an essential certification. Including a required certification in the contact information section after ones name is a common practice for professionals such as nurses, doctors, lawyers, and accountants.
In the example below, Certified Public Accountant Jane Does certification is listed by their name.
#2) Resume Summary Section
The resume summary or objective section is a good place to highlight an essential or desired certification. It is uncommon to find more than one certification listed in the resume summary or objective.
In the example below, Certified Public Accountant Jane Does certification is listed in the Resume Summary section.
#3) Education Section
The education section is the place to include your optional certifications. They must still be relevant to the job you have applied to, but they may not be critical to it.
In the example below, the CCNP certification is not an essential requirement for the position this candidate intends to apply for, and so it is listed under education section, in reverse chronological order.
When Should You Add A Certification On Resume
James is a Marketing Manager with 10 years experience, working with a top-notch brand and delivering your best to the company.
Additionally, he is an MBA graduate from a decent B-school.
Your work experience and education sections look quite sorted.
Now let us evaluate your certifications
Your certifications list is:
- Certificate in Yoga and Meditation from Yoga Art Center
- Digital Marketing certification
It makes sense to add only those certifications list to your resume which adds VALUE to your current portfolio!
For a , Digital Marketing Certification goes a long way in letting the recruiter know the additional skill in the same domain.
The skill of digital marketing shall enhance the marketing career of this candidate.But rest of the certifications do not necessarily add value to a Marketing Resume.
So whether the rest of the 3 certifications can be added or avoided depends upon the space constraint in the resume.
Needless to say, the rest of the 3 skills might showcase your learning stint but would not add much value while the resume is getting shortlisted for interview.
At the same time, in case of freshers, all the certifications matter a lot.
Because freshers are still deciding their path and any new certification will add value to the resume.
For example, a fresher might have done an online certification in Leadership Training.
Also, the baking certificate would showcase the skill of initiative and a team player.
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