9 certificates to give you an edge over others

1. Microsoft Office Training Centre

Learning computer packages was once all the rage and it was the thing to do once you finished high school. However, you can now acquire those skills and do more computer courses that you might find specific to your job, at the Microsoft Virtual Academy. The courses are designed by Microsoft itself, for regular people who just want to be more proficient at computer, developers, IT specialists and data specialists. The courses currently include Windows 10 packages, game development, database development, mobile app development and business development among others.

2. Google Analytics

Google has several certifications, mainly geared towards people working digital jobs, like Digital Marketing. Such courses are like Google Advertising, which on its own provides several certificates. They are relatively cheap (an examcosts Sh1,000), and depending on your commitment, you can get certified within two weeks in some cases. You can get certifications from Google in business, education and web development.

3. Coursera certificate

On Coursera, you can start your course any time and finish on your schedule, as you are completely in control. It is ideal for people who work long hours but hope to study something whenever they find some time on the side. According to the site, you can get credentials from top universities like Yale, Michigan, Stanford, and leading companies like Google and IBM. Some of the most popular courses include Financial Markets from Yale University and Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies from Princeton University.

4.  Edx Certificate

Going to an Ivy League university is a dream for most, Harvard and MIT universities created a website where people can gain access to some of their courses. The Edx Website was created by the two universities, but over 120 other global institutions have joined them since. You can enroll on the site for almost every career, and they are highly respected by hiring professionals worldwide due to the high quality assurance, as it is governed by colleges and universities. Some of the most popular courses on Edx are Introduction to Project Management and also Analysing and Visualising Data with Excel – Microsoft.

5. Udemy

On Udemy, you are spoilt for choice. This site has the world’s largest selection of courses, offering over 80,000 options and with over 24 million students. You can find a course for almost any skill that you want to improve, with some of them being incredibly sought after, like the Jack Welch Online MBA that uses the site as a platform. Some popular courses are An Entire MBA in 1 Course and The Web Developer Bootcamp.

6. Social media

Proper branding is invaluable to the success of a company, and nowadays social media is an indispensable tool in doing it. Proving that you can leverage social media to improve your company’s bottom line will get you ahead of many people career-wise, especially if you are in marketing. You can earn certification for social media marketing skills online from Facebook Blueprint, which has more than 90 elearning courses. You can also get certification from Twitter Flight School, which teaches you how to leverage Twitter to your business advantage. In addition to a printable certificate, they also give you access to social media resources that other people do not have, and badges that you can add to your LinkedIn profile.

7. Brainbench

According to the site, Brainbench certifications are used by 15,000 leading employers worldwide to support their daily hiring and promotion decisions. You can earn certifications for about 600 skills in diverse areas such as IT, Finance, Health Care and Office Skills. The site has over 11 million members and as a member, not only do you get certification, but you can also test your own skills for free, as the site has one of the largest online test libraries in the world.

8.  MIT Certificates

The prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology has an online publication named MIT OpenCourseWare which contains virtually all of MIT course content, all offered for free. You have more than 2,400 courses to choose from, which cover almost all the subjects offered at the institution. You also have access to online textbooks, audio and video lectures and many supplemental resources.

 9. Management Training & Leadership Skills Course

This is a free but invaluable course, and according to the site, they offer a “Management training and leadership skills course which will teach you management skills, leadership styles, and the fundamentals of business management. It is the perfect management training solution for new and first time managers, professional and experienced managers, and provides the tools needed to become a great leader. While tackling a very specific area, it offers very detailed course content with several certificates.