12 FREE Online Certifications & How to List Certifications On Resume
12 Free Certifications For Resume That Will Get You Hired in 2024
Want to increase your employability in the turbulent job market? Consider a professional certification. Whether you plan to continue your current career path or are looking to make a career transition, online course certifications can help you stand out from the competition. What's more, they can lead to a higher paycheckand a higher job stability.
With the variety of online learning platforms, you can learn at your pace from the comfort of your home. And the best part - many valuable professional certifications are available for FREE, so you can boost your skills without spending a dime.
Ready to supercharge your career? Today, our resume writing services NYC will share as follows:
- A list of 10 free online certifications that are beneficial for any industry, and
- A guide on how to list certifications on your resume to get them noticed.
Want a resume that impresses the hiring managers? Consider hiring a professional resume writer. At ResumePerk, we have writers in every industry who can prepare a resume in line with the employers' expectations. Your writer will showcase your career achievements, and professional development, and tailor your resume for the job description to make you look like an ideal candidate. Chat with us for details!
Why learn for an online certificate?
Students and graduates obtain free certifications to compensate for the lack of relevant experience, and experienced professionals take specialized courses (such as free cybersecurity courses) to gain a promotion. Yet, there are some reasons universal for everyone:
• To develop in your profession. The concept of lifelong learning is nothing new to modern employees. To become an accomplished professional, one should continuously improve their knowledge and adapt to the new practices. No need to go back to school – courses work just fine.
• To tap into new career path. Considering a career change but not sure if it will work for you? Learning for a certification will teach you the peculiarities of the prospective career from the inside. Thus, you'll have a deeper understanding of what your target job entails.
• To enhance your resume. Hiring managers value certification, and even it's from an online course, it still shows your commitment to learning. Moreover, certifications help you pass the ATS which might be programmed to select certified professionals.
Whatever your career goal is, a certificate will help you accomplish it. Also, take a look at the tips for women how to succeed in career, fast.
Top 12 free online certifications for your resume
If you are not sure what free online courses to take, consider popular certification courses below. These certifications are recognized by many tech and digital companies and will help you stand out from the competition. Here's how to list certifications on your resume.
Google Digital Garage
This training program from Google offers a certificate in Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. If you plan to work in digital as a copywriter, marketer, or social media manager, this course is a great option to get started. However, it will also be helpful for everyone interested how the digital marketing works. The course is self-paced and offers training on building your online presence, developing an online business strategy, Google Analytics mastery, and search engine optimization. Upon completing 40 hours of training, you can take a test and obtain a certification.
Certifications from LinkedIn Learning
In addition to connecting professionals and helping them get found by recruiters, LinkedIn also offers learning opportunities. In connection with other organizations, LinkedIn offers courses in lots of disciplines and industries. Some of these courses are paid, so if you are considering free options only, you'll have to search for the respective trainings manually. In particular, the platform has great free courses on entrepreneurship, conflict management, SEO, and pitching yourself. Once you complete the training, certification is available – add it both to the resume and LinkedIn profile.
Inbound Certification by Hubspot Academy
A course on inbound marketing from Hubspot is a great option for learning the basics of blogging, SEO, online conversion analysis, and more. If you are looking to boost your social media skills or promote your blog in search engines, this course is a great option to get started. All basic knowledge if online marketing and social media are included in one course, so you won't have to take several courses in different aspects of online marketing. Speaking about jobs, a certification in inbound marketing will be helpful for everyone looking to work for a startup, small business or the marketing department within a bigger organization.
Adobe Creative Commons Certification
Knowledge of Creative Commons is necessary for everyone who works with content creation or distribution – online marketers, designers, and more. Gaining this certification shows that you are familiar with the creation and distribution of openly licensed work. Also, you'll learn the skills needed to meet the open licensing requirements. The course consists of reading, quizzes and practical exercises to enhance your understanding of the material.
Project Management Certification from Cybrary
There are lots of courses in project management, and many of them are time-consuming and quite costly. The beautiful thing about this course is that it's short – takes around five hours to complete – and informative at the same time. It explains the basic principles and the main practices in project management, preparing you for a PMP certification exam. A certification in project management will be helpful for anyone considering switching to this career. Moreover, the knowledge of initiating, planning and overseeing project will be helpful for all managers, IT professionals, and professionals in finance industry.
Color Theory for Artists
Color theory is the collection of rules and guidelines describing the use of colors and their combinations in art and design. Obviously, it will be helpful for everyone working with visuals – graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, etc. However, if you want to pursue a creative hobby, you'll find the course content helpful, too. This is a short course, and upon its completion you'll be able to make well-weighed decisions about the use of color, light, and their perception by the audience. Moreover, you'll be able to enhance your resume with an attractive certification and use the knowledge you've gained in any design project.
Microsoft Office Certifications
Many job posting require the familiarity with Microsoft Office products, especially Word and Excel. By attaching a respective certification issued by Microsoft, you'll stand out from the pool of applicants whose qualifications the employer cannot check. Microsoft certifications come in three levels: specialist, expert, and master. You can take the necessary training through the company's learning platform, and then take the test to obtain a certification. Moreover, Microsoft offers plenty of courses for developers, business analysts, data engineers, and other technical specialties.
Mongo DB Certification
MongoDB university offers comprehensive training on a database platform which is popular among developers. Thus, the course will be beneficial for anyone interested in web or mobile development. Firstly, you'll need to complete online classes and use the exam preparation resources provided by the platform. These resources include exam study guide and preparation exam. After that, you sign up for an exam and get certified. This certification will add points to both experienced developers looking to take their careers forward and the beginners who are only building their skillset.
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FreeCodeCamp Certifications
Free Code Camp is a go-to resource for beginners who want to learn coding. Currently, the platform offers certifications in six specialties, including web design, data structures, and more. The curriculum is quite extensive – each certification takes around 300 hours to complete and includes plenty of projects. Yet, it only means that they teach you comprehensive coding skills which you can put into practice with ease. These courses will be an asset for anyone looking to enter the tech field. Yet, certifications in programming are valued highly even in non-technical specialties. In particular, they allow you to negotiate a higher salary.
AWS Training Certification
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a popular cloud computing platform which is used by companies worldwide. Amazon offers free training programs and certifications that prove proficiency with this platform. Certifications come in three levels: foundational, associate, and professional. This certification is recommended for professionals in a role that involved building Alexa skills. It's also a valuable addition for professionals in system administration and operation jobs. The certification is free and recognized worldwide.
Group Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership Certification
In 2023, LinkedIn named communication, teamwork, and leadership as one of the most in-demand workplace skills. What's even more, these skills are invaluable in any industry, from digital marketing and software development to education, corporate finance, and nonprofit careers.
This short free certification course has three modules. Upon completing them, you will learn the essentials about groups, their lifecycles, and roles, and navigate the process of group problem solving. Plus, you will find out the principles of effective communication and leadership styles.
PMP Basics
Getting a prestigious PMP certification from the Project Management Institute is invaluable for project management. However, you don't need this certification to get started as a project management professional. Take the first step towards the PM career with a free PMP Basics course from SkillUp.
This course takes 9 hours to complete and offers a free certificate. You'll learn the essentials of project management, including time management, cost and quality management, and effective communication. The course will be beneficial not only to beginning PMs but also to marketers and Agile/Scrum professionals.
The following free courses can help you advance your current career or start a new one. Now, let's talk about how to effectively reflect these certifications on your resume.
How to add a certification to your resume?
Once you've obtained one (or several) certification, it's time to add them to your resume. Here's how to do it right:
List certifications professionally
To add resume certifications, indicate the certification's name, certifying body, and the date you obtained them. Include an expiration date if applicable. Here's the example:
CPR Certification
American Heart Association, 07/2022
Use a dedicated Certifications section
If you have 2+ certifications under your belt, create a separate section for them. There are two approaches to listing your certifications in that section. You can put the most impressive and recognizable ones first, or list all certifications you have reverse chronologically.
Focus on relevant certifications
Resume space is limited, so be strategic about what to include. Unless particularly impressive, leave the irrelevant certifications and training out. If you apply for a creative job, your certifications in accounting or chemistry will be of little use for prospective employers.
Place the important online certifications at the top
Some certifications are particularly important for your industry. Having an in-demand credential can persuade the hiring manager to choose you over other candidates. The example of such a certification is the PMP for project managers or the SHRM Certified Professional for professionals in human resource management. If you have such a certification, consider putting it above the fold - for example, in your resume summary section.
Online certifications on your resume cannot replace a degree. However, they do show your commitment to professional development and your desire to stay on top of your industry. Adding certifications is an effective way to beat the competition, so don't overlook them especially if you are unemployed.
Need urgent help with your resume?
Building job-related skills and obtaining certifications takes time. However, you can get your resume improved in just 24 hours. At ResumePerk, we have a team of resume writers who can update your old resume or write a new one for you shortly. You will work one-on-one with a writer who will sell your strengths and adapt the application to your target job posting. Plus, our rush resume service is pocket-friendly – take a look at our services and prices and make sure!