In today’s job market, having online courses for resume improvement can make you an even more valuable asset to a company. Continuous learning and an eagerness to grow are just as crucial to your career as your history or education. For this reason, more and more people are taking online courses in order to become more desirable job candidates.

However, taking online courses isn’t just for job seekers. It can also help you with a promotion or to potentially switch careers. Not to mention, it allows you to stay informed in your field and to expand your knowledge about the world!

But where can you take online courses and how do you get started? In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly what to do to get started with online learning! 

Leveraging Online Courses for Resume Improvement

List Your Career Goals

Before you start browsing the web for online courses, it’s important to do some research beforehand. This starts with listing valuable skills that align with your specific career goals. Is there a specific soft skill you’ve been wanting to learn? Are there certain skills that employers look for when hiring your dream job? Answering these questions first can help you narrow down the type of classes you should take.

If you’re unsure where to stay, take a look a job descriptions for positions you’re interested in. This can be a useful list for analyzing which skills are important for certain roles.

Choose a Reputable Training Platform

There are lots of online classes to choose from, but you don’t want to jump at the first one you find. The last thing you want to do is invest time and money into a course that fails to provide valuable information. Or worse – it could be a scam!

Instead, you’ll want to choose a company with a good reputation. Sites like Coursera and Udemy are well-known businesses that offer specialized courses in almost every field. These are great platforms to use if you’re interested in high-rated online trainings.

Look for Certification Courses

If you can, try to take a course that offers some sort of certification upon completion. This can make a significant impact on your resume, as you can list it as training or as an achievement. 

Coursera has lots of professional certificate programs that grant industry-recognized credentials. For example, you can become certified as a Microsoft Python Developeror a Google Project Manager. These trainings are generally more intensive and can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete. However, it can be a game changer if you’re looking to apply for a specific role within a larger company.

Of course, it’s perfectly normal if your desired class isn’t officially certified. Learning a new skill, even if just for fun, can still be a valuable learning opportunity!

Research Course Structure

Not all online courses are made the same. Because many of them have different formats, you’ll want to find one that fits your schedule and style of learning. 

Most classes are self-paced, which allows you to learn at your own speed and without any deadlines. However, there may be varying levels of interactivity. Some classes have quizzes or homework at the end of each chapter, while others rely heavily on video and media. It might take some experimenting, but at the end of the day, find something that works best for you.

Be Consistent

Self-paced online courses offer a lot of flexibility. But without a consistent timeframe, they can also make it easier to procrastinate. If you sign up for an online course, you’ll want to create a schedule to help you stay on track.

For one, this means setting aside dedicated time to study. It can be hard to find time between work and personal life, but this is important for finishing your coursework in a reasonable time frame. As with any form of studying, you’ll also want to block out distractions and work somewhere comfortable. That way, you can fully focus on the course so you can finally add it to your resume!

Find Ways to Apply Your Skills

Finishing the course is just the first step in your journey. Now, you’ll want to find ways that will allow you to apply the knowledge you learned to real life. This can help solidify what you’ve learned and also demonstrate your strengths to potential employers. 

A great way to do this is by working on freelance projects. Having experience (or a portfolio) relating to the course you took can be more attractive on your resume. You can also apply your newly learned skills to your current job. This could be taking on new projects, offering to improve workflow systems, or volunteering to help other teams.

Add Your Skill to Your Resume

Once you feel confident in your new skill, feel free to add your learning to your resume. This can go in the “Skills” section of your resume if you have one. Make sure to include the online course you took in the “Certifications and Training” or “Professional Develop” section as well. Here, you’ll want to include the course name, the online provider, and the date of completion.

Taking online courses for resume is a great way to land your dream job or even just to advance your career. That’s because having a varied list of skills can make a strong impression on your potential employer. Not to mention, it also makes you a more well-rounded candidate and person in general! If you need more resume-writing advice, we have you covered there too. Here are 10 important resume tips to consider as well as an example of what a good resume should look like.