Top 7 Online Certifications for Recent Graduates
If you’re a recent graduate, you may not have the work experience that employers are looking for. So, it’s vital to find another way to stand out from the pool of candidates applying for the position you desire.
Certifications are an excellent way to give yourself leverage over other candidates because you’ve learned skills and best practices in a particular area. Depending on the career path you choose, there may be a certification that can help you stand out to potential employers.

Here are the top seven certifications that you can pursue as a recent graduate:
1.Meta Certification
Meta is an excellent certification for anyone pursuing a marketing or social media management career. There are various levels of certifications and a variety of courses you can take under each category:
Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate:To achieve your designation as a Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate, you must demonstrate your ability to create, manage, and report on ads using Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

Professional
Meta Certified Marketing Science Professional:This certification measures your ability to use data insights and measurement to make informed marketing recommendations.
Meta Certified Creative Planning Professional:If you’re looking to prove your advanced understanding and strategic use of the fundamentals of mobile on Meta apps and services, you may consider pursuing this certification.

Meta Certified Planning Professional:This certification measures your ability to create Meta media strategies that align with your business goals and marketing plans.
Meta Certified Media Buying Professional:You can demonstrate your ability to manage campaigns to achieve the business goals needed to buy ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

Meta Certified Marketing Developer:This certification measures your ability to implement marketing solutions technically (e.g., Meta Pixel, Custom Conversions, and Standard Events).
Meta Certified Community Manager:Completing this certification demonstrates your advanced understanding of standards and best practices for online community engagement.

Meta Certified Spark AR Creator:This certification acknowledges your advanced ability to translate complex ideas into high-fidelity spark AR experience management.
2.HubSpot Social Media Marketing Certification
You’ll appreciate that HubSpot offers this certification free if finances are limited. HubSpot’s Social Media Marketing Certification is for aspiring marketers, marketing managers, and social media marketers. The course takes over four hours to complete and has 29 quizzes, 38 videos, and eight lessons.
The course teaches you how to develop the conversation about your business online, earn loyalty, attract new partners and customers, build brand awareness, and drive word of mouth to attract buyers. Crystal King, a HubSpot Academy professor, leads this course. In this certification, you will learn how to:
3.Certified Blockchain Expert
Suppose you’d like to have a better understanding of Blockchain-based business applications. In that case, you may consider pursuing the comprehensive curriculum that introduces you to the various elements of Blockchain technology and the industry developing around it.
This certification is for anyone who wants to learn everything there is to know about enterprise Blockchains and how you can use them in the sector you wish to work in. The course is self-paced and takes about eight hours to complete.
What you receive
Allows you to qualify as a:
4.Certified Professional Sales Person
The Certified Professional Sales Person designation is for anyone looking for an advantage in a career in sales. Whether you plan to be a business owner or CEO, a sales executive, or a sales professional, this may be the certification you’re looking for.
Pursuing this certification can help you learn how to move your clients through the different stages of the buyer’s journey with ease. After completing this certification, you may stop using outdated sales techniques and replace them with the modern sales strategies you learn in the program.
You may also learn to develop positive habits that drive success in today’s sales environment. You will also have access to unique sales techniques that the top 1% of salespeople globally have shared through modeling, interviewing, and coaching. The program also allows you to:
If you’re planning to be a salesperson on the move, you may want to check out thesefive productivity tools.
5.Certified Associate in Project Management
Getting your certification in project management can help you stand out to hiring managers. Project Management certification with the Project Management Institute is the gold standard in the industry. This certification can benefit anyone interested in managing large projects, taking on more responsibility, and looking to add project management skills to their resume.
Before pursuing your certification as an associate in project management, you must meet the following pre-requisites:
You have three hours to complete the exam, and it has 150 questions. The Certified Associate in Project Management requires 15 professional development units (PDUs) every three years to maintain your certificate. Two types of PDUs count towards renewal: education and giving back.
6.AWS Certification
The AWS certification validates your expertise and technical skills to grow your career or business. You have two options for taking the exam, and you’re able to do it online or at a testing center. There are four different categories that the certifications fall under:
Foundational
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner:The foundational level of certification involves six months of fundamental industry and AWS cloud knowledge.
One year of experience implementing solutions and solving problems using AWS cloud is required to pursue certifications at this level.
You need two years of operating, designing, and troubleshooting solutions using the AWS cloud.
To achieve the specialty level of certification, you need technical AWS could experience in this category.
If you’re wondering which cloud service certification you should pursue, you may want to read about AWS and Microsoft Azure andlearn which cloud service is best.
7.Microsoft Certified Professional
Achieving your certification as a Microsoft Professional demonstrates your knowledge of the value of implementing Microsoft 365 cloud services, the basics of SaaS, and the benefits of adopting cloud services. This certification is for those who want to:
The certification measures your skills, such as your ability to describe:
You can study the materials for your Microsoft 365 certification online in a self-paced manner or sign up for training with an instructor. In addition, there is a practice exam if you’d like to prepare before taking the test.
Make the Best of Your Certification
It would help to consider your future career path when deciding which certification to pursue. Ensure that you are interested in the topic you’re seeking certification in. It’s easier to remain focused and committed to completing the process if you’re doing it because you’re interested and not just to help elevate your career.
Remember, you’re getting certified in an area you hope will help you progress in your career, so it should be a topic you see yourself working with in the future.
After you complete a Coursera course, you receive a certificate. But can it help you land a job? Find out here!
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