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HubSpot Academy provides a number of courses in marketing- and sales-related topics. Starting at $200 a month, HubSpot is a widely used customer relationship management platform. LinkedIn has even created a direct integration feature for many of these digital education companies, allowing job seekers to add their newly earned certification to their LinkedIn profile as soon as they successfully complete a program of study.Ĭindy Royal, a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, recently investigated many of the most popular digital certification programs to determine their usefulness in teaching new skills and measuring knowledge.
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Microsoft Office and Facebook for Journalists also offer certification programs.Ĭourses for digital certification are often provided by the platforms themselves (e.g., Google offers a Google Analytics certification), while a myriad of third party online education providers such as Coursera,, and Udemy offer certification courses on a wider breadth of topics. Hootsuite, HubSpot, and the Google suite are some of the areas in which employees can earn a certification.
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These certifications are available for a wide variety of subjects and platforms. Hiring managers often view candidates with relevant certifications as both competent in that subject and as someone who’s willing to revitalize their professional skill set outside of formal education. In almost all cases, these programs consist of working through online modules and do not require any sort of in-person participation.ĭigital certifications are carrying more and more weight with employers. These certifications indicate significant professional expertise in a certain subject. In short, digital certifications are earned by completing an online course of study (and sometimes by paying an accompanying fee). Recently, Journalism and Mass Communication professor Cindy Royal of Texas State University investigated the scope and value of some of the most popular digital certifications. These certifications can be earned by anyone, anywhere. The shift away from university-oriented learning has led to the rise of digital certifications: virtual “badges” that indicate an individual’s grasp of a specific subject. Education is no longer confined to the traditional classroom.
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