Professional Certs Can Make Your Resume Stand Out!

According to a 2011 McKinsey and Company report, there has been a decline of 7 million jobs in the United States since December 2007. In the wake of the jobs initiative and the Occupy Wall Street protests, the job crisis in America is certainly at the forefront of every American’s mind. Even as more people become unemployed and underemployed, employers still continue to claim that there is indeed a talent gap. And as new technological advances continue to rapidly enable organizations to become more productive, the modern workforce must become agile and receptive to change. Employers report that technology is outpacing the knowledge and skills of today’s worker. We see that there is still a huge demand for technical skills, and because these jobs are so hard to fill, employers are going at great lengths to attract technical talent.  

So, if you are an individual either looking for a job or looking to stay competitive in today’s workforce, how do you begin developing these skills? What are some resources you can turn to in order to increase your technological aptitude? Fortunately, there are many training programs that have been designed to teach today’s technology and agile business processes. Additionally, many of these technologies actually offer certifications that can help immediately bring your resume to the top of the pile if you are unemployed. If you are currently employed, it can help increase your job worth.  

Training Opportunity #1:  Technical Certification Training. Employers are still aggressively hiring for technical positions. Therefore, why not beef up your resume with some technical certifications? Many Americans, particularly those that are unemployed, can not afford to go back to school. A great alternative can be attending a technical training course followed by taking an exam for certification purposes. Salesforce, Eloqua, and Oracle are just a few examples of some major software companies offering certifications. Having these technical skill-sets on your resume can make you a very desirable candidate. With your new training, you will be able to help a business optimize their processes and increase productivity, which is an invaluable skill to have.

Practical Application Tip: Once you have passed a certification exam, you can immediately include this on your resume. Additionally, take advantage of the community that a software certification offers you -- this will be great for networking. Companies such as salesforce.com offer many targeted Linkedin groups that are great for networking opportunities. Exclusive and targeted job postings are often included in these groups. You can also join Meetup groups that are targeted to those that hold a specific skill set or certification.  

Training Opportunity #2: Role-Based Business Process Training. In addition to technical training, there are many firms that offer business process training. You can take courses or workshops to learn how to be more proficient in your roles. As an example, if you are a marketer, you can find a program that offers you courses such as lead nurturing, lead scoring, and social media. These courses are generally 1-5 days and will give you additional skills you need to be competitive in your field.

Practical Application Tip: Although these programs generally do not offer certifications, these courses are useful to add to your resume under “relevant coursework completed." Make sure to add each new learned skill-set -- if you are now well-versed on lead nurture campaigns, then make sure you put lead nurturing under your skills. Many companies are looking for candidates that are knowledgeable about new technology applications, and the fact that you took a course will make your experience immediately relevant. Additionally, attending these role-based training courses are especially valuable for networking opportunities--both with students and the companies that offer these courses.  

Training Opportunity #3:  Soft Skills Business Training. Role-based and technical training cover hard business skills. In contrast, soft skills training will help with communication, conflict negotiation, leadership etc. This sort of training can help boost confidence in the workplace and during the job hunt. Good soft skills can also assist you in being more open to change, as modern workers are required more than every to become agile and iterative.  

Practical Application Tip: Having great soft skills and understanding how to work in teams is extremely beneficial for the modern, collaborative workforce. These courses will help you to stand out during the interview process by showing your potential manager that you are not only confident about your skills, but you are also ready to work with others on your team. You can also add these courses under “relevant course work” and include them under your resume skill-set.  

Stand out from the overwhelming candidate pool and increase your job security by enrolling in a training program. As unemployment continues to stagnate, you will have to take extra measures to ensure that you are continuously sharpening your skill-set and remaining knowledgeable about new technology. Training courses not only offer certifications and practical skills application, but can also open the door to new networking opportunities with your peers.

Did you know that Bluewolf offers training? Enroll in our Salesforce Administrator Certification courses and check out our upcoming Role-Based training.