For anyone looking for a job or going through a professional outplacement process, knowing how to put free courses on their resume is essential to boost their credentials and attract the attention of recruiters.
This strategy is a great way to showcase your skills and experience, setting you apart from other candidates and demonstrating your commitment to your own personal development.
Therefore, knowing exactly how and where to present these certifications to the job market is crucial for long-term professional success.
Check out the best ways to put free courses on your resume below and stand out during selection processes and corporate interviews.
What are free courses?
Before discovering the best ways to place open courses in the curriculum, it is important to understand what this teaching modality is and how it works.
Free courses are informal training offered to the general public and available in various areas of activity.
Unlike a postgraduate degree, open courses do not have minimum academic requirements, being available to any interested individual.
In addition, due to its free nature, this teaching modality is not regulated by the MEC, therefore not requiring a mandatory workload and duration.
Despite offering certificates of completion after the end of the course, free training is not professional in nature and does not grant the student a specialist title in the area.
Free courses are great alternatives for anyone looking to prepare for the job market or learn specific skills and competencies.
What are the benefits of free courses?
One of the reasons to learn how to put open courses on the curriculum is because of the benefits that open courses offer professionals.
In addition to attesting to the skills and experience described in the resume, open courses are also a great way to attract the attention of recruiters and stand out among candidates.
Other benefits of free courses include:
– Better professional expectations: by taking free courses, it is possible to receive better job offers, evolve vertically in your career and stand out professionally;
– Higher remuneration: non-formal courses attest to the candidate's skills and competences, increasing their level of expertise in the area of expertise and demanding higher salaries and more advantageous benefits;
– More skills and competencies in the area: through free courses, it is possible to learn new skills, refine existing skills and discover new professional techniques;
– Different experiences and experiences: the open courses offer a differentiated education to the student, exposing them to different experiences and experiences during the classes and helping them to have a broader view of the market.
How to put free courses in the curriculum?
Now that we know how this academic modality works and what its importance is in a professional career, the main question now is: how to include open courses in the curriculum?
Although it seems like a complicated process, inserting open courses and their certifications into the curriculum is quite simple and can be done by any candidate, without professional assistance.
Check out the step-by-step below on how to put free courses on your resume and impress recruiters!
1. Focus on free courses relevant to your area of expertise
The first tip on how to put free courses on your resume is to focus on training that is really relevant to your area of expertise.
If you are applying for a job as a Data Scientist, it is essential to take a Data Discovery, OLAP and Data Visualization course, for example.
However, if the vacancy is for a Financial Analyst position, the above course may not make sense and end up harming your selection process.
2. Choose the ideal place to insert open courses in the curriculum
Another key tip on how to put free courses on your curriculum is knowing how to position them properly.
The first option is to enter them under the Education section, making sure your highest academic level, such as a college degree, remains most prominent.
Another alternative, however, is to create a specific section to present open courses, including an extra category at the bottom of the Education or Skills section.
3. Present free courses as a list
The best way to present free courses is through listings.
However, it is recommended to limit the number of items, including five or less training, in order not to overwhelm the reader.
Also, it's imperative to list course names exactly as they appear online, as recruiters can use this information to check their validity.
4. Enter course dates
Generally, when entering course dates, only the year completed is required to show how recently you completed your degree.
However, if you are still studying, you can list it as “In Progress” or include the expected completion date.
5. Write a brief summary of your academic experience
In each course, try to include at least one or two topics describing what you learned.
These items provide context for the recruiter, especially if they are not familiar with the area of training.
