How to Mention Online Courses on Your Resume

by Olivia Ryan, guest blogger

Do you have online courses on your resume? Whether you want to graduate earlier, or simply prefer studying remotely, taking online courses can save you precious time. More than that, it can open doors you’ve never considered before, and lower your school attendance costs significantly. Besides that, having a comfortable environment and an extended ability to focus on tasks will improve your productivity.

Even if the advantages of studying remotely are numerous, there are still employers who disagree with the positive impact these courses have on students’ academic lives. When searching for a job, they might disregard your application quickly and surely. However, there are some tricks/hacks that you could use in order to increase your chances of getting hired. Take a look!

Related: Get Your FREE Resume Critique Now!

Keep Content Relevant

Using a “one-size-fits-all” type of resume can get you in trouble. Different companies require different skill sets – thus, there’s no point in highlighting that you’ve studied Ancient Philosophy when applying for a position in the IT department. Select only the online courses that are relevant for the job you’re interested in, and include them in your resume. Leave the rest aside!

Think about your interviewer! He or she will most likely skim your resume.They’ll take a quick look, and decide whether you’re getting an interview or not right on the spot. That’s why keeping your content succinct and relevant is crucial.

Place Online Courses on Your Resume in the Right Spot

Designing a special section for your online classes is neither professional, nor appealing to the eye. Make sure you include them in the “Education” section, along with your other relevant courses. Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs are important to highlight, especially if they’ve taught you practical skills. It shows that even though you’ve just entered the job market, you have the potential and experience to develop quickly.

Include any course that has a slight connection to the job you’re applying too. That might make the difference between you and the other candidates, who knows?

Show Them What You’ve Learned

Recruiters want to see the qualifications you’ve gained by taking these classes. Be concise, prompt, and clear in your descriptions. Provide specific numbers if necessary. Be sure to explain:

• how they impacted you
• what you’ve learned
• what skills you’ve developed throughout the course

Don’t be ashamed of bragging. As mentioned before, use numbers and examples to emphasize extraordinary results. For instance, replace “learned how to design a project” with “designed an experimental project and virtually acquired 25 new customers.” Show them your results, speak up, and stand out of the crowd.

Don’t Include the Intro Classes

Since Intro classes provide the basis for the “real important classes,” avoid mentioning them. It will take unnecessary space on the page. Keeping your resume succinct means underlining the most outstanding abilities you’ve gained from the course, nothing extra. Also, try to keep your course descriptions brief.

When your prospective employer reads your resume, he/she must get the impression that there’s no person more qualified for the job than you. Expanding on useless skill sets for the job will make them impatient, and certainly less attentive. Make them focus on what matters by emphasizing strictly what’s vital!

Prepare for the Interview

Last but not least, preparing for your job interview is a big part of the hiring process. Your interviewer might ask relevant questions about the remote courses you’ve taken, and you must be able to answer concisely, yet openly. If there are things you did not like about one specific course, tell them what you think. Pretending to be excited when in fact, you feel quite the opposite, is wrong. Honesty is always the fastest route to success.

For example, when they ask about your “Anthropology Elective,” a course that you could barely tolerate, don’t lie. Act diplomatically, but give away the information that might compromise you. That shows courage and open-mindedness.

Say something like “Anthropology was an interesting subject to discover. I found it a little bit challenging, I won’t lie, but I am very excited to get more hands-on experience in the field!”!”

Wrapping Up

Design your resume properly, and include online courses in the right section. Be concise and brief in your explanations. Skip the intro classes, and get right to the point. Highlight your achievements and merits. Prepare for the interview, and keep your head up!

About author: Olivia Ryan is a young journalist who is passionate about topics of career, recruitment and self-development. She constantly tries to learn something new and shares this experience on https://www.aussiewritings.com  as well as on other relevant websites.