Coursera is one of the most popular online learning platforms where you can develop a new skillset or brush up on your existing skills.
One of the most common questions people ask is: “Can Coursera get you a job?”
Can Coursera Get You a Job?
You won’t get a job just because you’ve completed a Coursera course or certification. In fact, a Coursera certification might not affect or improve your CV much at all. However, you can earn valuable and crucial skills with Coursera that can undoubtedly make a big difference in your job hunt.
But that’s not due to Coursera being a bad learning platform.
The opposite is true – Coursera is one of the best learning platforms that you can access right now.
You can even get a full degree on Coursera, and everything is done remotely.
However, you certainly cannot expect to get a job instantly when you add a Coursera certification to your CV.
Instead, think about the practical implications that having a Coursera course can bring.
You’re likely to be much better at what you do, and with improved skills, you can do a better job than a competitor vying for the same employment spot as you.
Now that’s an advantage that you should be after.
Is it Worth Getting a Coursera Certificate, Then?
You have to look at this question from a different perspective.
While a Coursera course will not land you your dream job on its own, it can have several positive implications that will affect your job hunt.
Think about how well you can do your job at the moment and where you are currently lagging.
Is it your skills required to do your job expertly?
Do you suck at human relations?
Or is it the communication skills that are holding you back?
Whatever it is, you need to identify it and improve it.
And that’s where a platform like Coursera can help you with your job hunt.
It’s about filling the gaps in your CV and your skillset that will attract more employers to you, and make you much better at what you do.
In fact, this survey shows the following stats on how MOOCs improved respondents’ careers:
- A whopping 72% of the respondents reported career benefits
- 61% reported educational benefits
- But only 26% of the respondents actually managed to land a new gig
So it’s not about just getting the certification from the course; it’s how you use the knowledge you gained from the course to improve how you do your job. You need to connect the actual work you did to the certificate and how it helped you do the job in those particular instances.
Completing a course on Coursera also shows employers that you’re interested in the topic and are prepared to go the extra mile for the job.
Are Coursera Courses Accredited?
Yes, most Coursera courses are accredited by some of the world’s best learning institutions.
And these certificates do hold some value with employers.
Just as long as they recognize the quality that Coursera brings to the table and its instructors.
Coursera is also famous for having full degrees on the platform.
These are known as MasterTrack Certificates, and they are some of the most in-depth courses on the internet.
Note that these courses can take you months to complete.
As you can see, some of the world’s biggest companies and learning institutions provide these courses.
And some of these courses have a stringent grading system.
You can’t get accredited unless you complete the assignments.
And most of these assignments are graded by the course providers, so there’s no fast-tracking your way through.
Here are some institutions that provide certifications on Coursera:
- IBM
- Yale University
- Stanford University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Michigan
How Do You List Coursera Courses on Your CV?
You can list your Coursera course certificates on your CV, and you should place these certificates in the “Education” section of your CV.
Some people also recommend creating an additional section in your CV under Education called “Continuing Education” where you can list the course you completed on Coursera.
Others suggest you should put your course certifications under “Achievements.”
It’s totally up to you.
You can add as many courses as you like here, but if you have completed many, then it might make sense to make a selection.
Choose only the courses that are relevant for the job posting you’re applying for.
Here are a few additional tips you should know in this regard.
- Don’t place individual courses on your CV. Instead, add specializations or even full degrees if you have them. Only place individual courses if you don’t have specializations.
- Do NOT put the course’s assignments under your achievements. This would just make the employer assume you don’t have any other achievements to your name.
- Only list the courses that are relevant to the job posting you’re applying to.
Hope this helps.
How Much are Coursera Courses?
It depends on what type of course you choose.
There are three main types of courses:
- Individual Courses – these can cost you anywhere between $29.99 to $99.99 and will take you several days or even weeks to complete. You will get a certificate upon completion.
- Specializations – these are comprised of several courses and can take you weeks or several months to complete (up to 6 months). They can cost anywhere between $39 to $79 per month, depending on the size of the specialization.
- Full degree – lastly, there are full degrees on Coursera. These are the most reputed and most valuable for your career, but they take years to complete and cost quite a lot – anywhere between $1,500 to $20,000.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, Coursera alone won’t get you a job, and many smaller Coursera courses won’t impact your CV significantly initially.
However, the extra knowledge you gain from the courses can be a significant advantage at how you do your job and how likely it is for an employer to notice you.
Further Reading
If you want to read more, check out these articles:
