Get the Most Out of Your Resume with These Free Certifications

There are lots of advantages to having free certifications for your resume: They demonstrate that you are committed to your profession, knowledgeable about the latest trends in your industry, and are willing and able to invest in your professional development. In other words, not only do professional certificates show mastery in a skill, but they also highlight Positive Character Traits You’ll Need In Every Workplace. 

It’s also worth noting that including free professional certifications on your resume is a great way to target keywords and rank well on an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Hiring managers often use applicant tracking systems to rank job applicants. This is why it’s important to tailor your resume to ATS algorithms. Again, one way to do this is to list any free career certifications you may have earned. Not only will these certifications register as keywords, but they will also increase your perceived credibility and professionalism!

There are lots of free certifications you can get online for your resume. But where do you get them? Here are some of the best places to take free online class with professional certifications:

• Alison  
• Cisco Networking Academy
• Codecademy 
• Cognitive Class
• Coursera
• DataCamp
• freeCodeCamp.org
• Google Analytics Academy 
• Google Certifications
• Great Learning
• Hubspot Academy
• Kaggle
• LinkedIn Learning
• MATLAB Academy  
• Massive Open Online Courses
• OpenLearn
• Saylor Academy
• Skillshop
• SkillUp
• Trailhead
• Udemy Free Resource Center: Find Free Online Courses
• WordPress Academy
  

It’s definitely worth noting that LinkedIn, one of the 8 Top Job Search Engines, offers free professional certifications through LinkedIn Learning.

Whether you are interested in earning free certifications for social workers, free certifications for administrative assistants, or free certifications for data analysts, don’t worry! There are plenty of free professional certifications for everyone, regardless of their industry. 

That said, there are certain industries that offer more free professional certifications than others. The most popular industries that offer free professional certifications are as follows:

• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Cyber Security
• Data Analysis
• IT
• Marketing
• Project Management
• SEO
• Social Work
• Technical Writing

Interested in free certifications for marketing? Or free certifications for HR professionals? Consider these 10 free professional certifications to help bolster your resume!

1. Introduction to Business (Saylor Academy) 
2. Google Analytics Certification Course (Google Analytics Academy)
3. CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python (Harvard University) 
4. Cybersecurity Essentials (Cisco Networking Academy)
5. Data Analysis and Statistical Inference (DataCamp)
6. Introduction to Bookkeeping and Accounting (OpenLearn)
7. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing (Google Digital Garage) 
8. Technical Writing (Saylor Academy) 
9. SEO Certification Course (HubSpot Academy)
10. Online Free Course Photoshop Certification (EDUCBA)

The best way to incorporate free certifications on your resume is to list them in a separate section. Use the heading “Certifications,” “Professional Training,” or “Courses” and include where and when you earned the certification. You may also want to list relevant skills you learned through the program as well. If you have other questions or concerns about formatting your resume, review our article, 5 Resume Templates to Get You Hired. 

In the meantime, let’s take a look at a couple professional certifications examples. That way we can show you how to format them:

Cybersecurity Essentials Certificate: Cisco Networking Academy, Completed in 2022

Inbound Marketing Certificate: HubSpot Academy, Completed in 2023

Fundamentals of Digital Marketing: Google Digital Garage, Completed in 2022

There are lots of advantages to having free professional certifications on your resume. Not only do they add credibility and professionalism to your job application, but they’ll also show that you are a committed and motivated worker. And remember, there are countless free professional certifications from you to choose from! So whether you are looking for free certifications for marketing or free certifications for HR professionals, remember, there are lots of options out there!

If you have other career-related questions, consider reaching out to learn more about our resources. And in the meantime, you might also want to peruse our articles, 5 Tips On How to Write a Cold Email for a Job and Best Entry-Level Jobs with Useful Work Experience.