Coursera is a leading online education platform that offers free online courses collaborating with world universities. These courses last for several weeks or months. They are broad in scope, so anyone can find an area of interest – from the humanities, sociology, economics, and computer science to improving their skills in teamwork or group communication.
Are you considering taking an online course but not sure whether to choose edX vs Udemy.com? Let us help you make an informed decision. These courses are unique because each is created and led by eminent lecturers from top universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Virginia, or Michigan, so certificates are paid after completing the course. That is why this is a unique opportunity for all those who want to improve their knowledge or acquire a new skill from the comfort of their home while believing in it, and it is entirely free.
This also raises the question of the practical usability of such certificates in a vibrant business world where educational institutions compete for each student. As a job seeker, you want to know if your Coursera certificate is a competitive advantage or just another point in the CV that no HR manager will ever notice. Stay with us and we will show you how to add Coursera certificate to resume and add value to your future job application.
According to Bellinger and Thompson, attendance at mass open online courses has become global, and users are no longer just college students. Another research shows that most applicants are people who have already completed at least the first level of university education and attend courses because they are interested in the topic and for professional development.
Coursera is one of the leading platforms for “mass open online courses” (MOOC). The site summarizes the contents of many universities and other educational institutions worldwide in one place. It is more reminiscent of an online college than fast courses of various disciplines as previous platforms.
You can access art, business, information technology, and social sciences lectures for free, but assignments, tests, and certificates must be paid. Considering more than 1600 free lectures, we think this site is very noteworthy.
It would help if you kept in mind that courses are usually offered on specific dates, with a start and end Sunday. At the end of each week provided by the system, a test is taken, and specific deadlines must be met. You can attend each of these courses for free after the deadline, but a certain amount of money must be set aside for the certificate if you want it. This, of course, also applies to other systems that Coursera offers.
Still, we need to address the main issue – can you put Coursera on resume? The answer is simple: yes, you can certainly write such courses you have taken on your CV, but it is not sure that the potential employer is familiar with how this works.
So, if you have many courses, it might be a good idea to explain how they went. When doing so, it is also essential to know how many references to list on resume, and we have also covered this side of your CV.
Many people like to pay to have their exams corrected and get an official diploma that they have completed the course. This looks much better on the CV than if you list classes you have attended without having anything to refer to. But this is up to everyone. For many, it may be enough to show that they like to spend time in further education or seek broad knowledge.
We believe real-life examples show much more than mere theory. Let’s take IT, where self-education helps professionals keep up with technology and beginners learn about areas of interest. The fact that programming can be understood independently is best evidenced by the Stack Overflow research, which revealed that half of the developers in the world do not have higher education in their profession. Many have no higher education, but an upcoming Coursera certificate can help them state the expected degree on resume, which you can read more about here.
This fact is encouraging for those who are starting to learn programming on their own to one day deal with it professionally. Companies, especially startups, will often forgive you for lacking a relevant degree if you have adequate knowledge and skills and if you learn quickly.
A portfolio, a set of your projects, has a much higher value than a CV and a diploma unless you have a degree from a prestigious world university. Most candidates for programming jobs don’t even have a GitHub account, so if you come up with three relevant personal projects, you’ll be treated as a serious candidate.
Coursera has stood out as the whole way to master different areas. You get faculty knowledge from the world’s best professors and lecturers, but you build your program and determine the pace of learning. You can follow most of these courses for free, and if you decide to pay for them, official certificates can be an excellent addition to your LinkedIn profile.
You can also start your projects, which is always recommended, and we will learn you how to put Coursera certificate on resume to improve your job-winning odds. Your prospective employer will be happy to see you have invested additional time and money in your education.
The resume aims to present in the best light, adapted to the job you are trying to get, everything you have done in the previous period of your career, or at least what you have worked on so far (education and personal development) to start your career.
A CV is the first contact that an employer will have with a job candidate, so the first impression they create is significant. It is always good if you have completed a specialized course or training related to the position you are applying for, so attach or mention them.
If you are not sure whether your resume is good, try asking for help from professional resume writers. We have listed the best in these ratings and reviews.
Throughout their education, people acquire different licenses, diplomas, and certificates. Still, not all of them suit all jobs, so you should address the job and only state the relevant ones. With that in mind, we suggest you examine the potential employer and compile a proper CV according to the job’s specific demands.
Some of the most important reasons to highlight a Coursera certificate are the following:
The win-win situation is when your certificate matches the job requirements. There is no reason not to emphasize Coursera as it proves you spent some quality time and obtained a valid degree.
A certification that isn’t explicitly adverted in the job post but is relevant is also a good match. Make sure to indicate only courses that matter. In other words, irrelevant qualifications can waive you out.
Sometimes you will apply for a job, even without having proper work experience. Maybe you want to switch to another industry, but you have a Coursera certificate proving that you are ready for the role instead of hours there. Career-switchers and juniors will always appreciate this possibility.
In specific industries, certifications are rare achievements, and you should benefit from the fact that you have one. Putting a Coursera certificate is an acceptable way to draw the HR manager’s attention to your CV as it proves you are dedicated and trained in the specific field.
The fact is that proper CVs formatting sometimes means a difference between being hired or staying out of the system. There are several sections in a resume where you can effectively put Coursera so that we will focus on strategic and most common. This looks similar to putting Udemy courses on resume that you could read in our article.
Licenses and Certifications section: Arguably, this is the most logical place to highlight a relevant certificate. We suggest adding the area under “Education” or “Skills” to your resume. Of course, you can name it differently or make it sound more logical depending on your specific formatting.
Just a step back to what we previously said – add only those that matter and can make a difference, even though you might have numerous diplomas. When talking about stating scholarships on resume, a good idea would be to check here and learn if it is appropriate or not.
As an abbreviation: Certain licenses and Coursera certificates come with a well-accepted and professionally understood abbreviation. For example, in the health care profession, CCRN means a “Critical Care Registered Nurse.” There is no need to write the full expression hoping that a hiring manager will act only in that case. See this example to get a bigger picture:
In summary: The professional summary is an essential part of the resume, and many HR managers continue or stop reading after it. Therefore, we suggest you include relevant certifications and increase your chances by re-emphasizing your credentials. In the case of widely used automated recruiting systems, this can help them scan and stand out your resume after identifying you as a suitable employee.
Our example would be: “Annabel Lee, a CCRN-certified nurse with 10+ years of professional experience in hospital administration and critical care transport”.
In your cover letter: While many job seekers tend to copy and paste the content of cover letters carelessly, you can stand out by adequately flagging your credentials. This part of the CV is a great way to present a Coursera certificate and connect it with the job requirements. Again, automated recruiting systems will also match your application with the job requirement presuming properly used specific keywords.
In our example, Annabel Lee will say she is a CCRN certified nurse with more than a decade of experience in hospital systems and healthcare providers. Moreover, she worked in intensive care units to help the critically ill get what needed.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ research in 2020, certifications improve your job-winning odds and salary. The median weekly wage for people with a certification (but not a license) was $1,307, while a license-only granted $1,177. On the other hand, employees without any license or certificate took $913.
Considering the employment rate, the BLS research also showed that certifications reduced the rate to 4.7%, half less than without it. Knowing how to list Coursera courses or resume definitely pays out.
Yes, it does. A Coursera certificate matching the job requirements indicates you have spent more time and invested in your education.
Presuming you are displaying only courses relevant to the job, Coursera is a good fit for your resume.
by Alina Burakova 
February 5, 2024
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