Do Certifications Really Matter?

The role certs play in the data job hunt

Author

Matt Mike
September 23, 2023

Hey everyone, Matt Mike here đź‘‹

A quick note before we dive in.

Did you know I started a YouTube channel 2 weeks ago? I’m pretty excited about it. Check out my latest video where I walk you through my portfolio in detail. Watch it here.

Alright, let’s dive in.

Certifications. Do they really matter?

I remember when I FIRST started learning data skills and took my first courses.

I was so incredibly proud of every online certification that I earned. I’d display each of them proudly on my LinkedIn page. With each new certification I added, my excitement grew.

When it came time to begin applying for jobs, I was equally excited to slap all of those certifications on my resume and organize them in their own section.

But here’s the cold hard truth - employers generally don’t care too much about certifications.

The key word here is “generally,” and I’ll explain why in a bit.

But before I go any further I’d like to make a distinction. Online course certifications that you get from Udemy or DataCamp are very different from proprietary certifications.

Proprietary Certifications

Proprietary certifications are paid exam-based certifications that you either take at a testing center or in an online proctored environment.

They are also typically issued by the company that made the tool.

Examples include:

  • Tableau Desktop Specialist

  • MO-200 for MS Excel

  • PL-300 for Power BI

  • AZ-900 for Azure

These are typically the only kinds of certifications that hold prestige in the job market and I recommend you try to earn one. There are more than what I’ve listed above.

Standard Online Certifications

To be fair, online courses hold plenty of value, just not particularly towards the application process.

Their value lies in what you learn from them.

Do I recommend online courses? 100%.

Especially for those without technical degrees.

My technical foundation was built on courses and there is no way I’d be where I am today without them. Being able to learn data skills online without enrolling in a degree is an INCREDIBLE thing.

You just can’t expect them to earn you a job.

But here’s why I said they “generally” don’t matter to employers.

While interviewing for what became my very first data role as a Business Analyst, my manager actually was a bit impressed by the certifications I had on my resume. She was a VP and not very technical herself, but appreciated that I put the work in to learn the tools needed for the job.

So should you include certifications in your resume? It depends.

Based on my experience, they actually CAN help you stand out.

However, proprietary certifications will matter much more to a technical manager who understands the landscape a bit more.

Whether you have proprietary certifications or just online ones, there is one more thing you should emphasize more than all of the above…projects

Projects

Beyond certifications, projects are the ultimate way to stand out. This is because they provide tangible proof of what you know. This is better than just waving around a fancy online certificate on its own.

Having quality projects with no certificates listed on your resume is better than having certifications with no projects listed.

Whenever you finish a course, create your own projects using what you learned. This solidifies the knowledge gained and gives you something practical to show off.

Create a handful and then include them on your resume.

Give them a short description along with the tools used and link them to your portfolio page.

Conclusion

Online course certifications are great, but mainly because of the knowledge gained from them. Long-term, you should aim for proprietary certifications to make yourself a more valuable candidate. Ultimately, emphasize projects in your resume and invest in these the most.

That’s it for this week.

See you next time

Matt ✌️ 

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1 | The Data Portfolio Guidebook

If you’re looking to create a data portfolio but aren’t sure where to start, I’d recommend this ebook: Learn how to think like an analyst, develop a portfolio and LinkedIn profile, and tackle the job hunt.

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