With millions of Americans heading to the unemployment office website this month, many are dusting off the old resume and wondering how they can improve their chances of landing a new job. As a recruitment service and consulting firm, we’re often asked the best way an individual can improve their background and skillset to appear more appealing to employers. While having your resume professionally written and updating it periodically to reflect recent accomplishments are great ideas, one of the fastest ways to improve your resume is to add online certifications.
By completing online certifications, you show employers that you are taking the extra step to stay up-to-date and keep your skills honed. No matter what your dream job might be, there are thousands of paid and free online certifications that you can complete in your free time and add to your resume to improve your visibility to companies that are hiring.
Best Online Certification Websites
There are too many online certification platforms to mention here, but here are a handful of the best online certification websites (in no particular order) that you can visit and start learning now. Just make sure that you pay attention to details of each course, as some courses may not offer an actual certificate of completion. All these top online certification websites include beginner level programs that do not require any prerequisites and flexible deadlines that allow you to learn at your own pace.
Udemy
Udemy boasts the world’s largest selection of online courses, covering a wide range of topics including business, IT & software, photography, design, marketing, teaching, and personal development, just to name a few. Udemy hosts both paid and free online courses, most of which award the successful completion with a certification that can be immediately added to your resume. Additionally, if you’re studying for an industry certification such as the AWS Certified Solutions Architect or Project Management Professional (PMP), you’ll find hundreds of Udemy courses that can assist you with preparing for the exams. With such a vast array of different categories, completing Udemy courses is one of the easiest and best ways to improve your resume.
Coursera
Coursera is an online learning platform with a plethora of subjects, topics, and skills such as social science, math and logic, physical science and engineering, and personal development. Some of their most popular online certificate courses are the Google IT Support certification, IBM’s Data Science certification, and the Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business, offered by Duke University. Lastly, Coursera houses a wealth of information for individuals looking to earn a degree 100% online from leading universities around the country.
LinkedIn Learning (formally Lynda.com)
Formally Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning offers unlimited courses for a nominal monthly fee. Furthermore, LinkedIn Learning is currently offering a FREE month of learning. The platform provides an impressive lineup of courses in the business, technology, and creative fields. If you’re a manager looking to bring your team up to speed in any given area, they also offer team-based learning. Once you have completed your chosen learning path, you’ll be awarded a certificate of completion that is sure to make the certifications section of your resume look attractive to employers.
Udacity
Wanting to boost your resume for a job in the IT or technology field? Udacity is an exceptional platform that lets you stay home and learn online, and that is specially geared towards careers in programming, digital marketing, and data science. Udacity’s program catalog also includes courses on career advancement such as refreshing your resume and strengthening your LinkedIn network and brand.
Alison Courses
Alison is an online learning platform that offers thousands of free online courses in business, math, humanities, science, health, marketing, lifestyle, and technology. Their course types are divided into three categories: certificate courses, diploma courses, and learning paths. They also offer career skills and guidance for individuals at any life-stage, from high school students to those making a career change. You can even search for Alison courses based on your chosen or desired occupation.
Stanford University
Headquartered in sunny California, Stanford University is a private research university with loads of courses and specializations that offer certificates of completion. Some of the top classes offered are Machine Learning, International Women’s Health and Human Rights, Cryptography I & II, and Love as a Force for Social Justice. Stanford University courses work slightly different from the previously mentioned online certification websites. To join a course, you must enroll in the course before a certain date. The classes are divided into courses, and each course must be completed in order to obtain your certification.
Benefits of Online Certifications
Not only can online certifications be taken at your own pace from the comfort of your home, but they also work magic in other ways. Adding industry-specific keywords to your resume is more likely to catch the eyes of hiring managers and recruiters. Not to mention, their keyword skimming bots that are a part of many of the recruitment candidate management systems (CMSs) they often use.
Keywords aside, obtaining online certifications can show an employer that you are willing and able to learn new skills to progress your professional career. In fact, “how do you stay up to date with things going on in your industry?” is a prevalent question asked by recruitment specialists and hiring managers.
Employer Recruitment Services / Candidate Resources
Online certifications are quickly becoming a preferred way to improve your resume and gain more visibility from hiring managers and recruiters. The numbers confirm this, as most people learning for professional development often report career benefits such as a promotion, a raise, or begin offered a job in a new company or field.
Candidates looking for new career opportunities are encouraged to send us your resume today to infovega@vegaconnections.com for consideration for current and future job openings. If you’re a hiring manager that is having difficulty finding the perfect candidate, contact us online or by calling 865-212-4867. With a full array of recruitment and HR capabilities such as prescreening, assessments, reference, and background checks, and employer and education verification, we’re confident we’ll connect you to the right candidate who can improve your company.
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