The 2019 Guide to Listing Certifications on a Resume

The 2019 Guide to Listing Certifications on a ResumeThe 2019 Guide to Listing Certifications on a ResumeWe agree that writing certifications on your resume can be very tricky.Theres a certifying authority, the certification itself, the date of completion and other details But there is only so much space in your resume.After experimenting for over 5 years with clients from different industries, our professional resume writers have created the winning formula to writing certifications on a resume.View the 2019 Guide on How to Write a ResumeIn this post, were going to share the winning formula with you for writing the certification section on your resume. By the end of this post, your resume will have a certifications section that will outshine the competition.For now, consider this scenarioJohn and Robert cleared their Bachelors in Engineering with flying colors.Both landed jobs through campus distributionspolitikment. With their GPA, who wouldnt hire them?They were excelling in their respective companies and were having the time of their lives.But as luck would have it, they both realized they needed a change. Why spend the prime years of their lives stuck in a single company? They had to exploreNow, it was time to one-up their game. The time to start climbing the fabled corporate ladder.Surprisingly, both of them knew that the journey of the corporate ladder would invariably begin with the humble resume. So both of them got into the science of resume making and started applying for jobs through different portals and sites.While John landed quite a few interview calls, Robert was still waiting.They had the same profile, they both were coming from stellar companies, and were the alumni of the same engineering college.They were applying through the same medium and in fact, they had made similar resumes too.Then what was the difference?The difference was the additional section of a list of certifications in Johns Resume.It became clear what was missingIn the cut-th roat competitive world, if you are doing anything extra to upgrade your skills and knowledge, it countsWhy are certifications important?Certifications are an important evidence of skills acquired and knowledge gained.They upgrade you with latest technologies and recent theories.They give you an added advantage over other candidates.Certifications increase your bargaining power for a better salary.Certification is a great economical alternative to expensive university education.There are candidates who have taken certifications but are confused around how to go about adding them in the resume. Dont worry we are here.Certifications list on a resume - What How?This article will throw light on-When to add certifications list?The best way of adding certifications to your resumeList of CertificationsWhere to place Certifications in a ResumeAccredited CertificationsWhile rolling down, it is a good way to kickstart the creation of your resume with our resume builder to save time and invest it in grabbing mora certificationsWhen to add a certifications list?James is a absatzwirtschaft Manager with 10 years experience, working with a top-notlagech brand and delivering your best to the company.Additionally, he is an MBA graduate from a decent B-school.Your work experience and education sections look quite sorted.Now let us evaluate your certificationsYour certifications list isA course in Sanskrit Language (completed half way)Bakery certification from TexasCertificate in Yoga and Meditation from Yoga Art CenterDigital Marketing certificationIt makes sense to add only those certifications list to your resume which adds VALUE to your current portfolioFor a Marketing Manager, Digital Marketing Certification goes a long way in letting the recruiter know the additional skill in the same domain.The skill of digital marketing shall enhance the marketing career of this candidate.But rest of the certifications do not necessarily add value to a Marketing Resume.So whether the res t of the 3 certifications can be added or avoided depends upon the space constraint in the resume.Needless to say, the rest of the 3 skills might showcase your learning stint but would not add much value while the resume is getting shortlisted for interview.At the same time, in case of freshers, all the certifications matter a lot.Because freshers are still deciding their path and any new certification will add value to the resume.For example, a fresher might have done an ansprechbar certification in Leadership Training.This work showcases an important skill of Leadership. Definitely, this makes a huge impact on the recruiter as leadership is 1 trait which recruiters look for.Also, the baking certificate would showcase the skill of manahme and a team player.To make it a bit easy for you, these are the 3 criteria you can keep in mind while deciding your certifications list in the resumeAdd Certification list when it translates to a skill important for your next recruiterValue Enhance ment in current role for working professionals as it increases the chances of getting shortlistingValue Enhancement of soft skills, in case of freshers and graduatesAdding certifications to your resumeCertifications for their immense value addition to a professionals journey shall be added as a separate section in the resume.Things have to be kept in mind while adding certifications section in a resume-Add it separately to catch the recruiters eyeDo not confuse it with training programsAlways mention the certifying authority, date and locationReverse chronological orderHighlightingCertifications section has to be separateThere are candidates who find it comfortable to add up certifications in any section of the resume.Certifications sound like a thing with least priority actually holds a lot of importance for the recruiter.Mixing the certifications with other skills or awards section will not make any impact on the recruiter.For that matter, the recruiter might even skip reading you r certifications if you do not have a separate section for themLet us do a test.Give yourself not more than 3 seconds for each resume and assume yourself to be a recruiter.Tell us which image makes a better impact.The second image is-We are very sure that the image with a separate certifications section must have impressed you.So go ahead and safely add all your training programs and certifications list in this section.Do not confuse training and certificationsThis is valid because many candidates write training in the certifications section.Certifications translate into a skill which can be applied in work.Certifications get you a certificate.But Training does not necessarily end with a certificate.Training programs do not have to be from a proper authority.At the time of your final hiring, they will ask for proof of certification. At this time, it would be crucial to submit all documents.For example, if you take up an online training course in say, metaphysics. This might not nece ssarily get you a certificate though it would enhance your knowledge in the same.For this reason, it is important and safe to name the section as Training Certifications.Mention all your training programs and certifications in this section.Refer to the image below-Here, this candidate has taken various important training programs and certifications. It is safe to put both of them in the section.So even if you mention the training bit in Certifications then the safer way out is to name the section as Training Certifications.Hiration Protip Mention Certifications and not Certification. And while were at it, its Training and not TrainingsSuch small things value a lot in your resume so try to not skip them.On way to building your resume, it makes sense to start searching for a job site for applying. Visit our guide on Best Job Search Sites.Always mention the certifying authorityThere are zillions of certifications happening around the world.But there are certain authorities which are renowned for a certification.That is, these authorities will enhance the value of your resume.It is exactly like doing a degree course from a reputed institute or doing it from some random institute.Again, the certification becomes important if the date is mentioned alongside.Of course, the certification pursued this year holds much more important than the one taken a few years ago.But if you mention both the certifications without mentioning the date, then they both become irrelevant for the recruiter.Certifying authority can be mentioned with the location and date using a separator.Location can be added if absolutely necessary.Referring to the same image above, you would see how we have used a separator to state date of each certification along with the certifying authority.Follow a reverse chronological orderCertification should be listed in a reverse chronological order as given in the example above.This makes it easy for the recruiter to scan the resume for latest certification s and quickly make a decision.Let us see this imageAs a recruiter would be easily able to scan the latest certifications.It would rather take you lot of time to find certifications taken up in 2018.That is why correct ordering matters.HighlightingAgain, bolding of the important words in the certification comes across as professional and more readable.It makes a huge impact on the recruiters mind as bolded information registers easily.Let us look at this example without any bolding done-Certifications ListNot all certifications are worth your time. While many others reinforce your skill set and multiply your chances of landing the interview.Lets walk through easy certifications list to include in your resume.Certifications List for Marketing ResumeCertifications to get in the marketing world are-Hubspot Email marketing certificationAMAs digital marketing certificationBing Ads accredited professional certificationPragmatic Marketing certificationDigital Marketing certificationsGoogle Adwords CertificationsGoogle Analytics Individual QualificationHubSpot Inbound CertificationCertifications List for IT ResumeIT professionals can command a better salary by getting trained and certified in systems, networking, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.If you are in technical sales in IT then certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, Apple, and VMware would make sense.Below are some of the certifications to get into the IT world which would help you rise up the ladder.Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)Resume certificates for the following job profilesSystems EngineerSystems ManagerIT ManagerSystems AdministratorField Systems TechnicianCertified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)Resume certificates for the following job profilesInformation Technology AuditorSecurity AnalystSystems AuditorCertified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)Resume certificates for the following job profilesInformation Technology AuditorSecuri ty analystInformation security analystAWS Certified Solutions Architect AssociateResume certificates for the following job profilesCloud ArchitectCloud ManagerCloud AdministratorCertified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)Certifications List for Business Analyst ResumeIIBA happens to be a global BA certifying body.unterstellung are some globally recognized list of certifications to get which will take you ahead in the analytical industryIIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE)PMI-Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) CertificationCBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional) for professionals over 5 years experience in the industryEntry Certificate in Business Analysis is best for freshersCertifications List for Operations ResumeIf you are an Operations maverick, it would surely make sense to take note of the certifications to get in the Operations domainSix Sigma CertificationCertif ication in International Supply Chain Professional (CISCP)Certification in International Transportation and Logistics (CITL)Certification in WarehousingCertification in Strategic OperationsCertifications List for HR ResumeThese are the Certifications to get into the HR industryCertification in PHR Professional in menschengerecht ResourcesCertification in SPHR Senior Professional in Human ResourcesCertification in SHRM-CP SHRM Certified ProfessionalCertification in SPHRi Senior Professional in Human Resources - InternationalCertification in PRHi Professional in Human Resources - InternationalCertification in GPHR Global Professional in Human ResourcesGoogle Certifications List for a DeveloperThese are the Certifications you need to get the target developer jobAssociate Android DeveloperGoogle Developers CertificationMobile Web SpecialistGoogle Cloud Certified - Professional Data EngineerGoogle Cloud Certified - Associate Cloud EngineerWhere to place Certifications in a Resume?This question holds a lot of importance for the fact that recruiter gives just 6 seconds to the resume.Thought the certifications section could be placed in a resume just after the Education section to make more sense as certification is part of education.But, to play it smartly you can add up a certification in your career summary to highlight it in the best possible way.Let us look at this summary-In this example, this operations manager has very smartly highlighted the six sigma certification in the resume summary.This is not to say that this certification will not go in the certification list on the resume.But it is to play it correctly so as to make the major impact on the recruiter.Accredited CertificationsCertifications surely help potential employers know your worth.But these days there are millions of institutions and education bodies offering millions of certificates.In this huge gamut of certifications, recruiters place importance on only those certifications which are accredi ted.Accredited certifications are backed by standard and reputed authorities.These authorities are like ISO of products and services.You can get a fair idea of accredited online certifications on this link.Key TakeawaysAdd certifications which gives you a skill relevant to your recruiterAdd certifications in a separate section in the resumeCertifications are not really training Certifications are surely different from technical skillsFor any doubts and queries, Please comment below. We would be more than happy to help.