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E-learning and online courses are gaining great importance nowadays because of the current COVID scenario. Everyone is trying to update their knowledge level, and skill sets during the lockdown.
Online learning is revolutionizing the way we build our careers. It is affordable, accessible, and we can choose the content that suits our requirements. We all agree to the fact that the prospect of devoting a few hours every week for boosting your career with an online course would feel far better than sacrificing your life to a droning professor. But will adding these courses to your CV benefit you? In this blog, let’s discuss these questions that may arise when we add online courses to our CV.
Reason to add online courses to your CV
Normally people never add their online courses to the CV even though it has a lot of importance. It can be a difficult task to set yourself apart from the crowd, but showcasing your completion of relevant online courses is a great starting point. Let’s elaborate further.
Creating a Positive Impact during Interviews
Employers use interviews to gauge the value you can add to their company, and it’s important to set yourself apart from the other applicants. It’s not every day that an interviewer sees an online course or program on a resume. Adding relevant online coursework can really help you stand out. If you are a programmer and you have some additional knowledge in a programming language that you could have learned online that could be an added advantage. This will also create an impression among the interviewers regarding your interest to obtain more knowledge.
Displays standout skill sets
Applicants often struggle to convey what they can actually do for a company. Speaking confidently about a skill set that you’ve developed can help guide interviewers in the right direction. Online courses on your CV provides a clear-cut example of what you know and what you can get done. Online courses are also a great way to showcase unique skills that set you apart from other qualified candidates, which is becoming increasingly important as more and more companies look for candidates with a diverse mix of experience.
Displays your character
Enrolling in online education, in and of itself, is impressive. It demonstrates personal drive and discipline, intellectual maturity, curiosity, and a strong willingness to learn. When an employer finds these things, he finds that individual more suitable for his position. It’s difficult for interviewers to always gauge these qualities, but it’s what they’re trying to do. They want to see that you’re willing to go the extra mile because that indicates passion, and passion indicates value. But always keep in mind that this only applies if you are able to talk about what you learned and how it’s relevant to the position you have applied for.
But how can we add online courses to our cv? Are there any tips or tricks? Let’s take a look.
How to list online courses on your resume in the right way?
Keep Content Relevant
Using a “one-size-fits-all” type of resume can get you in trouble. Different companies require different skill sets and there’s no point in highlighting that you’ve studied Ancient Philosophy when applying for a position in the IT department. Select only the online courses that are relevant for the job you’re interested in, and include them in your resume. Leave the rest aside! Think about your interviewer! He or she will most likely skim your resume. They’ll take a quick look, and decide whether you’re getting an interview or not right on the spot. That’s why keeping your content succinct and relevant is crucial.
Within the cover letter
One of the best ways to show off your achievements in online learning is through your cover letter. This is especially useful if you can discuss how your professional learning has been used in your more recent jobs and how they can help in the position you are applying to. If you’re submitting your resume electronically, you can even link to the course profiles.
Skip Intro Classes
Multiple recruiters mentioned that listing introductory-level online courses can make a candidate look bad when the expectation is that he or she will be an expert.
Since Intro classes provide the basis for the “real important classes,” avoid mentioning them. It will take unnecessary space on the page. Keeping your resume succinct means underlining the most outstanding abilities you’ve gained from the course, nothing extra. Also, try to keep your course descriptions brief.
When your prospective employer reads your resume, he/she must get the impression that there’s no person more qualified for the job than you. Expanding on useless skill sets for the job will make them impatient, and certainly less attentive. Make them focus on what matters by emphasizing strictly what’s vital!
Add them to Skills Section
The Skills section is where you can list all of the skills related to the job you are applying for. It doesn’t really matter if you’ve got the certifications or not for those skills. Some technical skills are developed through the profession, while others from education. If you’ve got the certificate from an online course that could support your power skill, that verification should definitely be included in the Education section!
Conclusion
Employers love people that are interested in furthering their career, however only include online courses that are relevant to the position you are applying for. In the cover letter, you can then explain how they add value to both you and the prospective company. Showing employers how you’ve used the new skills and knowledge you’ve learnt in the workplace can help strengthen the case that your continuing education meant something. Don’t just write a list of the classes you’ve undertaken, but provide a context and show off your results.
So now that you have understood why it’s important to add online courses to your CV, This is the perfect time for you to take up a few courses that could certainly benefit you and enhance your CV.
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