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Will getting certificates for skills, such as excel, communication, or using python on sites such as LinkedIn Learning have an impact when my resume is being reviewed, or is it just going to be ignored as fluff?
Undergraduate Freshman looking for research experiences #internship #job #resume
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15 answers
Updated
Patsy’s Answer
I agree with Ryan. Get the certificate and then show example spreadsheets (bonus if you have pivot tables and calculations and graphs). Build some simple python apps to show off. Being able to demo code I had written really helped when I landed my first programming job.
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Ryan’s Answer
The answer is, it depends.
It depends on what else is on your resume. If you are in, or just graduated, high school, then yes. These shorter courses and certifications show that you're interested in the field, that you know basics skills, and that you're a self-motivated "self-starter" that is doing more than the bare minimum like most high-school students. So yes, definitely include it (as long as it's relevant to the job of course.
HOWEVER, over time, these courses should become less significant and be removed from the resume. For example, once you earn a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Programming, a 2-hour LinkedIn Learning course on Python won't mean much. But why? You're the same person. It's the same class. And the same job. But it's different because your degree now shows them that you're interested in the field, that you know basics skills, and that you're a self-motivated "self-starter", that you can follow through on a commitment, etc. So having the other stuff on there would be "fluff", because it no longer says anything new about you or your skills. So no, at that point, don't include them anymore.
Just remember, there is no perfect answer with resumes. They are very subjective. I still include certain things from high school on my resume, not because it's better than anything I've done since, but mostly because I want to showcase that I've been working in my field for a long time - since as early as I legally could. This is important in a field that values experience over education, certifications, and even sometimes skills. Know what is important to your desired field, and highlight that thing(s) on your resume.
The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview gets you the job. So don't get in the mindset that the resume is the deciding factor. No matter what you put on the resume, what you leave off, and how you format it, someone will tell you to do the opposite. Make a decision, be able to defend the decision, and hand it to people with confidence. That plus consistent hard work and patience and you'll be successful. Good luck!
It depends on what else is on your resume. If you are in, or just graduated, high school, then yes. These shorter courses and certifications show that you're interested in the field, that you know basics skills, and that you're a self-motivated "self-starter" that is doing more than the bare minimum like most high-school students. So yes, definitely include it (as long as it's relevant to the job of course.
HOWEVER, over time, these courses should become less significant and be removed from the resume. For example, once you earn a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Programming, a 2-hour LinkedIn Learning course on Python won't mean much. But why? You're the same person. It's the same class. And the same job. But it's different because your degree now shows them that you're interested in the field, that you know basics skills, and that you're a self-motivated "self-starter", that you can follow through on a commitment, etc. So having the other stuff on there would be "fluff", because it no longer says anything new about you or your skills. So no, at that point, don't include them anymore.
Just remember, there is no perfect answer with resumes. They are very subjective. I still include certain things from high school on my resume, not because it's better than anything I've done since, but mostly because I want to showcase that I've been working in my field for a long time - since as early as I legally could. This is important in a field that values experience over education, certifications, and even sometimes skills. Know what is important to your desired field, and highlight that thing(s) on your resume.
The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview gets you the job. So don't get in the mindset that the resume is the deciding factor. No matter what you put on the resume, what you leave off, and how you format it, someone will tell you to do the opposite. Make a decision, be able to defend the decision, and hand it to people with confidence. That plus consistent hard work and patience and you'll be successful. Good luck!
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Clay’s Answer
Personally I think your skills should add to your narrative for what you want to use them for, and not just be marketing tools for interview settings. I do think that if you land an interview with the right company for the right position with the right skill set certification to fit the job, the highering manager will consider you a more qualified applicant, however.
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Kathleen’s Answer
A lot of this depends on what the certificate is and what position/company you are applying for. For example, when I interview people for a software engineering position, I am less interested in what certificates they have than what knowledge they have learned from gaining those certificates. If a person has a certificate in a technology or skill, but is unable to show me their experience in that topic, it isn't very useful to me. I know people, however, who were required to get certain certificates in order to continue in their position or move up to a more senior role. Unless you are applying for a position that specifically requires a certain certificate, I would worry more about learning the content than spending time or money to earn the certificate. You mentioned that you are looking for research experiences -- when hiring, I personally would be much more interested in hearing about what you learned from a research project, how you went about choosing and completing requirements, etc., as this shows me more of what skills you practiced and gained than a pass/fail score from a certificate.
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Uma’s Answer
Certifications need to be current with industry and market trends. Relevant experience demonstrating skills mentioned is a great value add. LinkedIn is definitely not fluff.
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Shiraz’s Answer
Excellent questions Christopher! In my humble opinion, I do not think it will hurt if you completed these courses. However, I think it would be even better and more effective in your career search if you identified career tracks you are interested in and then took on training to make you a strong candidate for those positions. What could help even more is if you applied learnings on a project and listed the project on your resume. This shows learning as well as application, which will resonate more with recruiters and hiring personnel.
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Ryan’s Answer
It will be very helpful to learn those skills, however you'll have to be able to prove you know the skills. Just having a certificate will not suffice. Often in interviews if you're claiming you have certain skills, you will be asked to take a test or do a sample project in order to show you actually have those skills.
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Fiona’s Answer
It depends on what other education/work experience /skills you have on your cv and what skills you are trying to find. If you are at the beginning of your career and these skills are relevant to the type of work you are looking for, then it could be useful to include them in. Do not include too much detail, keep it short and sweet.
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Jonathan’s Answer
Depending on the job profile and the relevance of the skills you're adding, yes it will help you. But make sure the certifications and badges you're earning will be useful and practical for what you want to do and that you're not just doing it to fancy up your resume.
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Deni’s Answer
Great advice from the other folks! And I agree -- be able to demonstrate the skill to an interviewer.
I'd add one thing in trying to choose what skills to learn. Use Linkedin to review various job openings in your career interest area at the entry level. See what skills those job descriptions are saying are required or preferred. That will help you segment skills into priorities for yourself.
I'd add one thing in trying to choose what skills to learn. Use Linkedin to review various job openings in your career interest area at the entry level. See what skills those job descriptions are saying are required or preferred. That will help you segment skills into priorities for yourself.
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Katya’s Answer
Hi, nothing is a fluff. Any certificates that you took the time to learn-you should be proud of and should list it on your LinkedIn profile.
For example, I have a certificate of Life Coach, Real Estate, Notary ,Master in Communication. I have been in retail for over 17 years and at some point in my career I have decided to change my path and was searching and learning different skills.
I am proud and somehow all these skills and received certificates can be applied at my job-which is still retail.
So, don’t be shy and make sure it’s all updated as you never know-what companies are looking for. Some companies might think- that you are all over the place but most take it that you are an ongoing learner and they admire this path.
Hope this helps
For example, I have a certificate of Life Coach, Real Estate, Notary ,Master in Communication. I have been in retail for over 17 years and at some point in my career I have decided to change my path and was searching and learning different skills.
I am proud and somehow all these skills and received certificates can be applied at my job-which is still retail.
So, don’t be shy and make sure it’s all updated as you never know-what companies are looking for. Some companies might think- that you are all over the place but most take it that you are an ongoing learner and they admire this path.
Hope this helps
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Tobias’s Answer
In my experience, both interviewing and being interviewed, certificates aren't what makes or breaks a candidate for being hired. Certificates are as valuable as the work you put into them, so being able to show examples of what you've learned by earning that certificate. As someone interviewing for software engineering positions, I'm more interested in the work you've done and could do in the future than the education or certificates you've received. Education and certificates are extremely valuable in your growth, but I'm mostly interested in how you can apply what you've learned to problem solve something you've never been presented with.
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Richard’s Answer
If you've already done the certificates, definitely add them! In my son's experience getting research jobs, professors only care about what you can do -- not how you picked it up. It is a good way to demonstrate interest in a professional setting though!
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Rob’s Answer
Short answer: it depends on the company, but most places are going to want to see proof of those skills in terms of work done.
Longer answer: This sort of thing probably makes more of a difference early in your career. As someone who has done a lot of recruiting and interviewing for software development candidates over the years, it isn't that I *ignored* those kinds of claims made on a resume, but I was a lot more concerned with (1) could you show me something you actually did with those skills? and (2) could you demonstrate to me how you would apply it "here with me" if we were teammates? And on that note, the further along someone was in their career, the less weight I was going to put on something like a "LinkedIn Learning" certification vs. a strong and detailed re-telling of a milestone project from their career.
In other words, if these certifications are for skills that you're looking to develop anyway, then by all means dig into it and get the experience! But at the end of the day, the hiring team is going to be more interested in seeing what you can do, and hearing a compelling story about how you can put those skills to work with them.
Longer answer: This sort of thing probably makes more of a difference early in your career. As someone who has done a lot of recruiting and interviewing for software development candidates over the years, it isn't that I *ignored* those kinds of claims made on a resume, but I was a lot more concerned with (1) could you show me something you actually did with those skills? and (2) could you demonstrate to me how you would apply it "here with me" if we were teammates? And on that note, the further along someone was in their career, the less weight I was going to put on something like a "LinkedIn Learning" certification vs. a strong and detailed re-telling of a milestone project from their career.
In other words, if these certifications are for skills that you're looking to develop anyway, then by all means dig into it and get the experience! But at the end of the day, the hiring team is going to be more interested in seeing what you can do, and hearing a compelling story about how you can put those skills to work with them.
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Dave’s Answer
A resume as just an introduction document - I think if you tailor it to the job you're going after it's very helpful. That said, I think it's better to just say "fluent in Excel" if the job posting mentions that you need to know it, or if the job itself clearly requires it, mentioned or not. A resume gets you in the door, but once you're there it doesn't matter any longer - they care if you have the skill (and you'll likely be tested), not that you have a certificate!
Short answer: yea, it's a little fluffy. If you don't have a lot of experience and don't want too much white space on your resume, it doesn't hurt to list things like this - it can show that you cared enough to take the class. As your career advances, you'll need this less.
Short answer: yea, it's a little fluffy. If you don't have a lot of experience and don't want too much white space on your resume, it doesn't hurt to list things like this - it can show that you cared enough to take the class. As your career advances, you'll need this less.