Certifications: With the rise of online learning, there’s no shortage of classes you can take that offer you a certification in a particular trade, skill, or software program. You don’t need to be scared after reading this post. The Certifications I will list to you will impress them.
Certifications certainly can make a difference, but not all certifications are created equal.
Certification can also add a little extra consideration for recruiters to hire you regardless of whether your resume aligns with the job you apply or not.
Sometimes, educational qualifications do not measure up to the job requirements. Hence, the additional certifications can prove to be helpful in this case.
Effective knowledge in particular expertise as shown in a certificate that is required for the applied position can improve your chances of getting the job. Even better, you might be offered a better position because you have certifications and can prove the skills to your employer.
However, there is a bunch of certifications out there that you can pursue. Which one should you attach to your resume? Here are some chosen certifications that will help you survive in the digital era of recruitment. But first to come on the list is Role-Specific Certification before the Software Certifications
Role-Specific Certifications
As the nature of work is changing owing to the impact of technology, so too are the roles of people within the organization and the qualifications required of new candidates.
1. Human Resources Certifications
While not a requirement, many recruiters agree that job seekers in the HR field can benefit greatly from having professional certifications.
When a candidate has a certification behind his or her experience or degree, it indicates that there are competencies, knowledge, and skills behind the experience.
Candidates can begin to appear more multi-dimensional and that is important. It should also be noted that candidates for job applications could also command a higher salary based on the certification that seems to have a ten-year impact of about a thousand dollars per year. It is double for SPHR certification holders.
offers an and Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Course that can help you get certified in either the PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP.
2. Sales Certifications (Challenger Sales, Spin Selling, Sandler Training)
“Selling skills are often gained from experience, but candidates can stand out by including formal training or certification from a well-known sales philosophy on their resumes.
A few examples: MEDDIC, Challenger Sales, Spin Selling, Sandler Training, etc.,” says Jordan Wan, Founder & CEO of CloserIQ. “This shows the candidate has the discipline to back up their raw skills with learnings from sales experts to improve their selling ability.”
3. Help Desk/Desktop Analyst Certifications (A+, Network+)
A caveat here: recruiters say these certifications aren’t quite as impressive for more senior roles, but if you’re in an entry-level position, they can help your resume stand out.
“An A+ cert looks great for a lower-level position like help desk or desktop. It’s a really good starting point and will help you find your footing in the IT industry,” says Chase Wagner, Technical Recruiter at OakTree Staffing & Training.
Recruiters may also like to see Network+ certifications, says Senior Technical Recruiter Kamron Cox, also of OakTree Staffing & Training. “These are easier to get but do look good for those types of roles,” Cox shares.
4. Project Management Certifications (PMP)
“Anyone can claim to have the leadership and organizational skills of a Project Manager, but a certification in this field adds value to a candidate’s resume,” says Ashley Riedesel, Technical Recruiter at OakTree Staffing & Training.
“Employers love to see this since employees with the PMP certification tend to have a more sophisticated approach to taking projects from inception through to completion across different methodologies,” adds Bryant Vargas, Director of Recruiting, Information Technology at Atlas Search.
Bonus: While this certification is especially helpful for those in the Project Management field, the knowledge you gain can also be broadly applied to other fields at the manager and leadership level.
5. Network Certifications (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE)
If you want to be a network engineer or admin, Cisco offers a variety of certifications that can boost your application.
“A good network engineer/admin typically would have a CCNA or CCNP, and for the heavy hitters, you’re looking at different levels within CCIE,” Cox says.
The CCIE in particular “is a series of the highest level of Cisco Certifications offered for Network Infrastructure Leaders who design, build and implement enterprise networking systems,” Vargas says. “Candidates must first pass a written exam and then pass a hands-on lab exam.
When employers see that you’ve dedicated yourself to passing the written and lab portion of their CCIE it shows not only subject matter expertise, but also dedication and perseverance.”
Software Certifications
The best IT certifications can boost your career and your salary. Here are our Software Certification picks based on demand and earning potential.
6. Salesforce
From sales to marketing to customer service and more, many departments in a corporate setting rely on customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, and Salesforce is one of the most popular choices.
“It’s like the Google of CRM systems… most everyone uses [it],” says Wes Lieser, Executive Recruiter & Practice Director of Demand Generation & Marketing Technology at Versique. “If someone is Salesforce.com certified, then I know they’re going to be well-versed in analytics.”
7. Hubspot’s Inbound Certification
Hubspot is primarily a tool for marketers, but it encompasses many different functions within that field — odds are if you have a role within marketing, a Hubspot Inbound Certification can only help.
“There are only a select few certifications that move the needle forward when assessing a candidate… The first is Hubspot’s Inbound Certification,” says Keith Johnstone, Marketing Manager at Peak Sales Recruiting. “It provides a framework and methodology for basic inbound marketing strategies and tactics like SEO, blogging, email marketing, and social media.”
8. Project Management Certifications
“Anyone can claim to have the leadership and organizational skills of a project manager, but a certification in this field adds value to a candidate’s resume,” says a technical recruiter at a large staffing & training firm. Also, the PMP certification brings a 22–25% increase over non-certified peers.
Employers fully understand that prospective employees with the PMP certification tend to have a more sophisticated approach to taking projects from inception through completion across different methodologies.
Another plus is while this certification is especially helpful for those in or pursuing the project management field, the knowledge gained can also be broadly applied to other fields at the manager and leadership level.
Towson University Continuing & Professional Studies is a registered education provider with the . We offer an in-class and online Project Management Professional (PMP) Preparation Course to prepare you to take the PMP exam.
9. Process Improvement: Lean Six Sigma
Lean Six Sigma is a quality management methodology that seeks to minimize or eliminate defects or errors in products and business services. Lean technologies were born at Toyota and re-focused the way organizations value work.
Originally, Lean Six Sigma was developed to improve manufacturing processes, but now the tools and techniques have been integrated to provide high value in process improvement to industries like healthcare, aeronautics, electronics, banking and finance, pharmaceuticals, retail and more. Therefore making it one of the highest paying certifications in 2019.
Unlike most of the IT-related certifications in the industry today, Six Sigma certifications are available from several different certification bodies, such as the and the .
Towson University offers an online course that includes a project for certification. This course teaches Lean Six Sigma process improvement projects from start to finish. For professionals on the go, this is an ideal way to certify that you know what you know.
10. Google Certifications (Publisher, Analytics, AdWords, etc.)
Google has a tremendous range of products and services and almost as many certifications. Whether you’re in digital marketing, data science, or software engineering, there’s likely a Google certification that you can benefit from.
“We look for candidates that have the Google Publisher University certificates. There is one for each of Google’s flagship supply-side products: DoubleClick Ad Exchange and DoubleClick for Publishers,” says Kean Graham, CEO of MonetizeMore.
“It’s rare to see candidates that have these certificates but when we do see them, we snap them up. We have found these candidates tend to be at a consistently higher level than the others.”
Johnstone looks for candidates with Google Analytics certifications under their belts. “These courses allow students to learn everything about Google Analytics from how to analyze reports, set up goals, campaign tracking to data collection, processing and configuration, and more complex analysis and marketing tools,” he says.
Rachel Lehn, Manager of Business Operations at Perfect Search Media, says her company “[looks] for current certifications in Google AdWords… As an agency, almost all of our employees have those certifications,” she shares.
“If a candidate has current certifications, we know that they have at least a basic understanding of Google AdWords and Google Analytics, which are core platforms for our service offerings of paid search advertising and search engine optimization.”
11. IT Help Desk/Desktop Analyst Certifications
A definite must-have for IT professionals seeking an entry-level position or those without a degree, two certifications can help your resume stand out. A+ certification is ideal for a position like help desk or desktop analyst or even troubleshooters.
A+ is a great starting point that will help you find a job. If you are a career changer, these two certifications are crucial to getting your first position.
Also, recruiters like to see Network+ certification. While there are more complex and challenging Network certifications for more experienced IT personnel, Network+ in conjunction with A+ is a strong pairing of skills that will open even more doors than either would alone.
Towson University Continuing & Professional Studies offers a course that includes A+, , and Security+ that can be taken in class or online.
12. IT Security Certifications
Cybersecurity has become a household word over the past few years. Most career counselors recommend Security+ as the first security certification, IT professionals should earn.
It establishes the core knowledge required of any cybersecurity role and provides a springboard to intermediate-level cybersecurity jobs. Security + incorporates best practices in hands-on troubleshooting to ensure security professionals have practical security problem-solving skills.
By itself, Security+ is not going to get you into a DoD position. You’ll need a few others to move along that pathway. But Security+ can prepare you for jobs in information security analysis or cybersecurity analysis.
As you navigate the new normal of low unemployment, it is more important than ever to think about your overall career goals. Plan to take time to improve what you already know or to prove that you know what you know.
That is how you can make your resume stand apart from the others. Certification is not just another bullet point in your resume; it’s a powerful validation of your knowledge and skills that nine out of ten hiring managers trust.
If you have more certifications, you probably need to sort them out and attach at least 5 to 7 of the most relevant and/or updated ones. Generally, a resume is only two pages in length so do not exceed the maximum because it will only make your resume look flowery and unprofessional.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.
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