5 Worthwhile Job Certifications You Should Look Into
The unemployment rate in the US is at 3.9% right now, which is pretty rarely low. Here’s what that means for you: you need to be more competitive than ever since employers are actively finding new jobs to add to their businesses.
How can you become more competitive if you’re already established in your industry, but looking to move up? It’s not like you’re still in college and able to tack on a few extracurriculars to beef up your resume.
The answer: job certifications. There are tons of useful certifications out there that’ll help you stand out from the crowd. This is true whether you’re already established in a field or looking for a fresh start.
Read on for a list of certifications– the best professional certifications out there, in fact. These are the ones that will make a difference when a potential employer peeks at your resume!
Six Sigma Certification
If you’re looking to get into the consulting field, the Six Sigma certification will make you extremely competitive. Here’s the best part about it: it’s not industry-specific, which means it’ll help you regardless of the field you work in.
The Six Sigma method is a method of business analysis that seeks to make business more effective. It does this by pinpointing errors, areas where time is wasted, and projects which see a high amount of rework.
The certification trains you to identify these costly business issues and find solutions. Solutions will vary widely from industry to industry. It shows that you’re a critical thinker and creative problem solver.
Here’s another reason it’s a great thing to have on your resume. Almost every single business deals with efficiency issues in some capacity. The Six Sigma certification tells businesses you can make their daily operations smoother. It also tells them you can bring their bottom line up. That’s immensely valuable to every business out there.
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure
The Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert Certification (or MCSE) in Cloud Platform and Infrastructure is an increasingly valuable certification as our global technologies reach new heights. Cloud technologies are becoming more and more of the norm in business today, even businesses that aren’t at all associated with tech.
Why? Because the cloud offers better storage and systems management than previous operating systems. The problem is that only those trained in new tech and cloud technologies know how to help businesses make the switch.
That’s where the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certification comes in. Like the Six Sigma certification, this is a relatively industry-wide certification. Any business that wants to begin using cloud computing, storage, and networking will be able to use you.
Ethical Hacker Certification
As more and more businesses convert to cloud platforms and infrastructures, hacking becomes more and more of an issue. More than half of U.S. businesses reported security breaches last year alone. That’s no small chunk of change, and in certain industries, is totally unacceptable.
Take medical business security breaches, for instance. When a medical office leaks sensitive patient information, patients are likely to sue. That makes cybersecurity essential in the medical field.
The Ethical Hacker Certification makes you a business’ best friend when it comes to cybersecurity. They need to get more secure, and your certification will help them put their trust in you to secure their business better than anyone else could.
The CEH exam actually gives you a sample business’ networks, and asks you to hack into it to find holes in their cybersecurity defenses. If you aren’t able to secure the business’ security infrastructure, you aren’t granted the certification.
That makes it a tough one to get, but like the others listed so far, it’s industry-wide. As our global technologies grow, more businesses need an ethical hacker on their side. There’s your value.
Digital Marketing Certifications
If you’re hell-bent on becoming a successful digital nomad, get ready for some competition. 16 million people in the US are in “alternative” or “contingent” lines of work. Read: there are lots of people working the gig economy.
That doesn’t mean you won’t find success, of course. It just means that potential clients will be more likely to hire you the more competitive you are in your field.
There are tons of different digital marketing certifications out there. Make sure you do your research to find the most trusted and valuable among them. One of the best on the market is HubSpot’s certifications.
HubSpot is an authority in digital marketing. Their certification speaks volumes to potential clients. Regardless of the digital marketing niche you’re in, they likely have a certification in it. Here are just a few certifications you can receive from HubSpot:
- Content Marketing
- Graphic Design
- Facebook Marketing
- Lead Management
- Search Engine Optimization
- Business Writing
- Social Media Certification
- Email Marketing
- Inbound Certification
- Sales Enablement Certification
Their list is exhaustive, and they likely offer a course for whatever digital marketing niche you want to focus on. Even better: gain certifications in multiple niches to become even more competitive.
UPSC Civil Services
Want to become a member of one of the three arms of India’s All India Services? There are three options here. You can join the Indian Police Service, the Indian Forest Service, or the Indian Administrative Service.
The Indian Administrative Service exam will allow you a rich government job in India. It’s recommended to study for almost a year preceding the exam, that’s how rigorous it is!
Before you start studying, check your IAS eligibility. You need to have a degree from an Indian university, among other things, to qualify.
Beyond Job Certifications
Acquiring new job certifications are just one great way to make you more competitive in that seemingly never-ending job search some of us are on. Having the latest and best business certifications out there might not be the only thing holding you back, though.
Self-improvement has many facets. It’s likely you would do well to try a few on for size if you’re struggling in the job hunt. Maybe motivation holds you back, or perhaps your confidence isn’t as high as it needs to be heading into an interview.
For more ways to improve yourself and get the job, check out our other self-improvement articles. You’re bound to find exactly the knowledge you didn’t know you needed.