Covid-19 has put a record 16 million out of the job and counting. With so many furloughed and fired, hundreds are looking for a job however they can, meaning that the market is not only over-saturated by highly competitive. When it comes time for people to begin searching for employment again, you’ll want to have skills that distinguish you from other candidates. One of the easiest ways to do this is through certifications. These certifications can give you the skills you need to be qualified for the position you want and prove your qualifications to any prospective employers. Most certification programs can be completed online and are at reduced cost currently. Even if the certifications you chose do not directly apply to the position you are hunting for, certifications are attractive to hiring professionals because they show both ambition and the ability to learn without being prompted. Here are some of the most useful certifications that you can work on during quarantine.
Almost every marketing specialist position requires some experience or understanding of Google Analytics. This online tool is used to track and quantify traffic across different channels. In an increasingly digital landscape, tracking online interactions has become one of the primary focuses of most marketing agencies. While most people can claim that they understand Google Analytics, having the certification for it proves to your employer that you have actual knowledge. The best part is Google offers a certification program for free. With how high-demand this skill is, having a certification becomes an extremely attractive addition to your resume and will put you above any candidates who are only claiming knowledge of Analytics. You’ve got nothing but time on your hands, might as well put it to use and boost your resume.
Excel is one of the most broadly useful skills and a numerous businesses prefer experience in this software. Excel is also surprisingly complex and because of this, many people will put it on their resume only for future employers to find out that their knowledge was not as in depth as promised. Because of this, Excel heavy positions will almost require at least a certification, and usually a certification with prior experience. Excel certifications can usually range anywhere from $50 to $1000 but using Groupon you can find great deals on online certification programs and can even bring it down to as low as $5. If you have no specific sector you’re aiming for, an Excel certification should absolutely be at the top of your list due to its broad application and high demand.
This is another free online course that Google offers. While free online certifications are usually only applicable on a resume, this one can be connected to LinkedIn and is a valuable tool for showing employers your dedication to learning and your interest in the field. Google Garage offers many courses and even specifies how long some of them take. Some of the online courses take as little as one hour. The Digital Marketing Fundamentals Certification takes around forty hours, but it is extremely sought after on LinkedIn and is absolutely worth the 40 hours for how much it puts your resume above others. Google often offers very attractive, free, online certifications and you should absolutely take the opportunity to pick up this resume booster. This course is useful for even those who are not putting the certification on their resume, as Google offers information about your own marketing opportunities, marketing a business, and even how to expand a business to other countries.
W3School offers a number of certifications including SQL, Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, XML, and Bootstrap. While these online certifications are only a test and may not hold the weight of some of the more intensive online certifications, they are a good free option. These will be good for proving that you at least have a fundamental understanding of the languages. Many IT positions will favor a large number of certifications as well and online programming certifications can end up costing a bit, so it might be a good idea to pay for the certifications that are most applicable to the positions you are aiming for and then filling the rest of your roster with free certifications like these. Additionally, if you are learning the language, these certifications provide a great benchmark to check how far you’ve come and test your skills.
Drexel offers an online course in this field. Medical billing and coding is crucial for the business side of Healthcare and includes inputting information for insurance claims and updating patient records. This field is highly in demand and with a certification, a job is virtually guaranteed. The negative side is that the jobs are generally low-paying and usually range anywhere from $9 to $14 an hour. While this certification might not provide an intensely lucrative career, certification can easily be completed in your free time and will provide the ability to gain employment easily in dire situations such as the one we’re in now. This certification is also more specified, so it cannot be applied to a wide range of positions.
These are only a few of the certifications offered online, but online certification programs are an excellent resource that are often not taken advantage of. Even when they are not applicable to the job you’re applying to, they are still attractive to hiring managers because it proves a fundamental knowledge of a skill and proves that you are willing to learn on your own.
