5 Valuable And Practical Certificates For Young Job Seekers
About 20% of the employed workforce in the US hold a professional licence or a certificate. Being certified allows you to take on a broader range of responsibilities in the field, improve your credibility, allows you to train future recruits, and develop expertise or specialization. Certification or licencing is also a good way to switch careers and enter a new industry. It inspires confidence for employers when they see that you’ve gotten the training necessary to apply your transferable skills in the new industry.
Thus, the certification pathway is a good way for young job seekers to find a new career and move up quickly. So what are some of the certificates or licences easily available to job seekers without college degrees?
Project Management Certification
Project Management Institute, a globally renowned nonprofit institute for project managers, has PMI certifications in various disciplines. These certifications are well-respected and accepted by the many employers looking for project managers. There are different types of projects you could lead – SCRUM, Agile, Kanban, Lean Six Sigma, etc. Projects can be different of different size and nature (project vs. program vs. portfolio) but similar principles would apply.
Many employers will take any PMI certificate seriously and it’ll boost the likelihood of getting a job as a project manager even if you lack relevant previous experience. There are different providers who are authorized to deliver PMI training and access to the online test you have to pass for the certification.
Construction Certificates
Construction industry has a myriad of licences, certifications, and training available – some required, some optional. In some areas, stricter rules would apply. However, given the safety concerns (and possible legal repercussions), employers tend to prefer workers who had been previously trained in certain duties (handling explosives, operating heavy machinery, working at heights, etc.) to minimize the risks.
Having proper training is in everyone’s best interest. As you get additional certificates, it’ll broaden the range of duties you could fulfill, enhancing your employability. In addition, the more you could gain expertise in, the more likely you will get promoted to manage or oversee construction projects as you’ll be able to provide proper guidance to employees and ensure their safety.
Real Estate Licence
Real estate licensing requirements are different in each state. However, you’d have to receive a pre-licensing course from one of the authorized local real estate educational institutes and pass an exam. Once you pass, you’ll need to find a licensed broker to sponsor you before you actually receive your licence.
You will learn on the job as an apprentice and can easily build your own business. You could specialize in commercial, residential, solar, high networth clients, etc. The key to success in rela estate sales is to build relationships with the right partners who can help you host better open houses and showings that will make you memorable.
Massage Therapy Licence
Massage therapy licences are often required to provide any remedial bodywork in many countries. The practice is often overseen by government or designated health authorities. In the US, the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) is hosted by The American Board of Podiatric Medicine. These jobs are great for young job seekers looking for flexibility in hours and freelancing freedom.
Nowadays there are apps that match private clients with traveling masseuses. So you can build your own clientele as a masseuse solopreneur. A word of mouth is going to be the best marketing tool for a masseuse.
Sales Certificates
While Sales roles often do not require training, it often requires some level of previous experience or relevant experiences. If you don’t have a sales background or want to learn best practices before you begin your career as a salesman, then there are great options for sales certifications that you can pursue. They can upskill you on soft skills and analytics knowledge needed to make one an effective salesperson. It may also be wise to consider getting ‘certified’ or trained on popular sales tools such as Salesforce.