How Do You Find Job Certifications That Would Be Valuable to You?

Certifications can be just as important as degrees in some fields. But how do you know which certifications will be most advantageous on your career path? Here we explore which types of certifications exist, the benefits of earning them and how to choose which certification is best for you.

By Lora Korpar

You never stop learning, even if you graduated from college. Job certifications are a way to learn a new skill and make yourself stand out during the job search.

CareerOneStop defines a certification as “ a credential that you earn to show that you have specific skills or knowledge,” adding that “they are usually tied to an occupation, technology, or industry.” Often, you have to pass a test or training to earn a certification.

Certifications exist for several career fields, and some can even apply to multiple fields, so it can be difficult to choose the one that best works for you.

I spoke with career coaches Lisa Virtue and Cathy Lanzalaco to discuss the benefits of certifications, which are best for your career and are in demand now.

The Benefits of Job Certifications

Lanzalaco says earning a certification helps build “street cred” within an organization.

“Many different industries have certifications that help the members of those industries stay on top of their skills and really demonstrate a particular body of knowledge,” Lanzalaco said.

For example, Lanzalaco worked in human resources for 18 years and earned multiple related certifications.

“That proves that I have gone through the study materials and have learned the comprehensive body of work that HR professionals respect in each other and that companies are looking for,” Lanzalaco said. “If you have that certification and another HR person does not, it’s very likely the person with the certification is going to get that job because they have proven that they know their material.”

Virtue added that job certifications help you upskill if transitioning to a new career. Lanzalaco also recommends people entering the workforce take advantage of certifications early in their careers. Certifications can bolster your resume and LinkedIn profile, making you stand out in the job search process.

“What [people new to the workforce] are lacking is experience, and they may lose out on jobs because of that,” Lanzalaco said. “But if they are able to get a certification for the jobs that they're looking for, that can help bump them to the top of the pile. It could be a game-changer for them.”

Virtue said that combining the job certification with real-world experience will make you a more desirable candidate. If you are starting and don’t have much experience, try to exercise your new certification in a volunteer or freelance position.

“Don’t rely only on certifications to get opportunities, but also look at how you can apply that learning to a project,” Virtue said. “Now you can show it…in your resume’s experience section.”

Picking a Job Certification

Understanding the difference between certificates and certifications before choosing one is vital. According to Virtue, a certificate shows you took an online class and received a completion certificate, whereas a certification is often more credible because a “certification body” is likely behind it.

“Usually a bigger name [is behind a certification program,]” Virtue said. “For instance, an executive can go to Harvard Business School and get a certification from that program that speaks more highly to the actual skill set they obtained than learning about it on an online course.”

Some career fields will not require certifications. Others require many. Lanzalaco and Virtue said finance, HR, software engineering, design, digital marketing, and nursing are fields with several certification options. Goodwall says certifications are also important in accounting and information technology fields, plus any skilled trades like plumbing and construction.

But how do you decide which certification is most advantageous for your career? Virtue says three main factors to look for are that the certification is relevant, recent and credible.?

“The job hunters that are most successful are the ones who are super-focused on the role and their education and experience focuses on that role and makes a good match,” Virtue said.

Virtue says the “credible” piece is extra important because name recognition will make you stand out in a pile of job applications.

“Name-dropping is so important on a resume,” Virtue said. “So if you're able to afford something that's going to have a bigger name to it and more broad reach, I highly recommend going for that certification versus something that might give you the same education but doesn't have name recognition.”

Lanzalaco also recommends asking people working in your target field about which certifications they found useful. Many industries have national or local organizations you can join to find people to advise you.?

Lanzalaco and Virtue also recommend analyzing job postings to find commonalities in the preferred certifications.

“Print out a few of those and see what types of certifications they're looking for and what are the ones that keep coming up most consistently,” Lanzalaco said. “And [search for] that when going to the websites of the organizations that you belong to. See which [certifications] they're promoting as well. And doing that across both the local and the national organizations will help you really hone in on that.”

“[Observe] what job recruiters are looking for when it says the preferred qualification is a certain certification,” Virtue added. “If you continue to see those names, that’s a good indicator to really take note and go look into those certifications so that you can add to your profile and desirability as a candidate.”

Lanzalaco also recommends searching CareerOneStop for more information about the certification you want. It will give you a summary of what the certification is and how to earn it. This will tell you whether it is worth obtaining for your career trajectory.

“[Ask yourself] ‘Does it sound like it's going to be helpful to me or not?’ because there are a lot of certifications out there where organizations are trying to just get a money grab,” Lanzalaco said. “But if you really do your research on it, that can help sort through some of the noise for you.”

In-Demand Certifications

Though most certifications apply to a specific work sector, some can be useful in multiple fields. Lanzalaco says some of the most popular multi-purpose certifications are Project Management Professional (PMP), LEED and Six Sigma.

PMP prepares leaders for project management by emphasizing people skills , reinforcing technical skills, and “highlighting the connection between projects and organizational strategy,” according to the Project Management Institute.

“[PMP] has never gone out of style and it's actually gaining popularity,” Lanzalaco said. “A lot of people say they can do project management, but doing some project management for an organization is not necessarily the project management people are looking for. PMP carries a lot of weight in the technology world as well as in manufacturing and in engineering.”

Six Sigma is a series of “quality management techniques and tools” many American corporation leaders use, according to Investopedia. The training’s goal is to help minimize errors in the manufacturing process.

Those with LEED certifications are trained to adhere to the U.S. Green Building Council LEED mission. This is “to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.”?

Virtue also says most certifications with an online component can be useful in multiple fields. For example, Google’s data analytics and project management certifications are in demand and have name recognition.

“When it comes to certifications, really what recruiters are looking for is experience and applied knowledge,” Virtue said. “Sometimes there are certifications that are in high demand that [apply to multiple positions.] But typically, they're looking for ones more specific to the industry.”

No matter which certification you strive for, Lanzalaco says to focus on quality instead of quantity.

“I don't think people need to amass tons of letters after their name,” Lanzalaco said. “It's really about targeting the ones that are important to you and your goals, and not underestimating how important they can be. There's a lot to be gained from [obtaining certifications] and a lot of connections you can make.”

Top Takeaways

Which job certifications are most advantageous?

• Certifications help you gain skills and knowledge in your field.
• Talk to professionals in your field and analyze job postings to find the most favorable certifications.
• Make sure the certification is relevant, recent and credible. Name recognition can be advantageous in the job search process.
• Consider certifications that apply to multiple fields like Google certifications, PMP and LEED.
• Focus on certification quality, not quantity.