10 Free Online Courses To Boost Your Resume

Today’s job market is more challenging to break into than nearly any other time. While there’s a steady growth of open positions, this availability is slowly tapering off, making it more difficult to get an offer or even an interview. With employers searching for a versatile set of skills, it’s now more important than ever to make sure that your resume stands apart from your competition.

One easy way to do this is by investing time in building new skills. Whether you focus on building your knowledge in data analysis or studying a language you’ve always wanted to learn, bringing new skills to the interview table can not only give you a competitive edge, but also show your commitment to personal and professional growth. Moreover, skills like “fluent in French” can be a fun way to get conversations started and show your potential employer who you are beyond just your resume.

Furthering your education can be expensive. If returning to school or taking expensive online classes isn’t in your budget, don’t fret–there are many online courses available at your fingertips that can enhance your skills without diminishing your funds. We’ve found some of the best free online courses to help you diversify your resume.

Note: While all of these courses are free, access to complete materials or full curriculums may be limited on some platforms. Paid versions of these courses, however, are incredibly affordable.

Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

Type: Marketing

Duration: 40 Hours

Whether you want to start your own business or support another, digital marketing is an essential skill to have to thrive in the digital age. Digital marketing also encompasses a wide array of channels and tactics, which can allow you to focus your career on one niche that aligns with your skill set and interests.

One of the best and most highly recommended free online courses, Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing will give you the basic fundamentals of this practice, including tips on utilizing social media for business, how to get noticed with search ads, ways to reach more customers with advertising, measure web traffic, and more. Once you’ve completed the course, you’ll receive an award that can be shared to your LinkedIn profile and other networking platforms. 

CS50's Introduction to Computer Science

Type: Computer Sciences

Duration: 12 Weeks; 6-18 hours weekly

There’s a high demand for people skilled in computer sciences across every field. Having a computer science certification can create more career opportunities for you, and several positions focused in this skill come with high earning potential. Even if you don’t receive a certification, having a basic understanding of computer science can familiarize yourself with the many ways technology is changing the workplace.

A more involved online certification course from Harvard University, this 12-week lesson will introduce you to computer science and the art of programming. During this course, you’ll study many topics, including, algorithms, data structures, resource management, security, software engineering, web development, and more. Along with these topics, you’ll also learn how to use various programming languages, like C, Python, SQL, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.

As long as you earn a satisfactory score on nine assignments and a final project, you’ll be awarded with a certificate. And, you can take it at your own pace!

DoaneX: Business Communications - The Basics

Type: Business Communications

Duration: 4 Weeks; 5-8 hours weekly

Communication is one of the most challenging skills to master within the workplace; however, it’s one of the most crucial skills to possess. Effective communication can support both the success of yourself and your potential employer.

In this four-week self-paced course, you will learn the fundamentals of business communication, including the principles and the communication model. This course also touches on ways to effectively (and actively) listen, and it helps you to identify your own communication style. 

Useful Excel For Beginners

Type: Office Productivity

Duration: 10 Hours

Be honest–how many times have you included “Microsoft Office” as one of your featured skills on your resume, even though you have a love-hate relationship with Excel? Now, you can add this skill to your resume without cringing when you think of spreadsheets. 

A beneficial tool to understand data visualization and improve your efficiency, this course will teach you the fundamentals of Excel, new formulas to implement into your daily workloads, and turn you into an effective user overall.

Knowing how to use Excel can greatly increase your potential career prospects. From data analysis and financial services to human resources and small businesses, having this skill in your repertoire makes you a more competitive candidate when you’re searching for a job in any field.

Diploma in Project Management

Type: Business Management

Duration: 10-15 Hours

Highly valued across many professions, project management is another versatile skill to have on your resume. This course offers a comprehensive review of all of the factors that go into project management and planning, along with a step-by-step guide that can help you put everything into action. 

Along with studying the project management life cycle, you’ll also learn how to use scheduling tools, including “Gantt” and “Program Evaluation Review Technique” (PERT) charts, making it a valuable course for those looking to improve their skills in the area or for those considering a career in project management. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a diploma to share on your networking profiles, resume, and with future employers.

The Science of Well-Being

Type: Personal Development

Duration: 19 Hours

Investing in yourself and your health is one of the best choices that you can make. This course focuses on ways that you can boost your own happiness while debunking misconceptions of the emotion. You’ll also learn various ways that you can build productive habits to benefit both your personal and professional life. 

A unique asset to add to your resume, you’ll receive a shareable certificate to include on your LinkedIn profile and resume once you’ve completed this course. While this isn’t a traditional, career-focused lesson, your performance at work can greatly depend on your mood and overall well-being. As you gain a better understanding of altering your mindset to improve your happiness, you may see that your attitude and performance in your career increase, too.

Introduction to Data Analysis using Excel

Type: Data Analysis & Statistics

Duration: 4 Weeks; 2-3 hours weekly

This four-week course delves into the basics of Excel and how to maximize its features to help you gain insights into data. A self-paced lesson packed with helpful tutorials, this course will teach you the necessities of pivot tables, including how to present data, calculate margins and other ratios, filter data, and create aggregate reports. 

Regardless of what field you’re seeking a position in, every business can benefit from data analysis. This capability can help to analyze trends, make informed decisions, increase revenue, and more. By adding this skill to your resume, you’re making yourself stand out as an asset to any company. 

Comprehensive Guide for Resume Writing

Type: Resume Writing

Duration: 3 Hours

We live in a world where nearly everything is digital–including employers’ scouting processes. Many companies use automated systems to filter resume applications based on keywords and job titles. This means, if you’re not using those buzz words mentioned in the position description, you may not be noticed–despite how qualified you truly are.

This course breaks down every element of a resume, from the font type and format to the language and keywords that you should be using to get noticed. A valuable course for experienced professionals and college students alike, taking time to perfect your resume can help you maximize the amount of calls you get from potential employers.

ImperialX: Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success

Type: Problem Solving

Duration: 7 Weeks; 2-4 hours weekly

One of the most useful skills for the workplace (and in everyday life) is effective problem solving. This self-paced seven-week course teaches you a new way of problem solving that’s now being taught in classrooms and workplaces all around the globe. This creative-thinking course encourages you to approach problems in innovative ways that often lead to productive outcomes.

Designed to help you build a tool box of behaviors and techniques that inspire creativity, this course includes activities to practice your new skills, lectures and tips to help you navigate this way of thinking, and videos that show this method in use.

UPValenciaX: Basic Spanish 1: Getting Started

Type: Foreign Language

Duration: 7 Weeks; 4-5 hours weekly

This seven-week course from Universitat Politècnica de València teaches you the basics of Spanish at your own pace. Complete with cultural notes, grammar explanations, and other useful resources, this course introduces you to everyday language used among Spanish-speakers and utilizes activities to help you practice reading comprehension, listening, and speaking. Upon completion, you will be able to introduce yourself and have brief conversations.

One of the easiest ways to make your resume stand apart from your peers is by learning a foreign language. So many jobs on the market now list that their ideal candidate will be able to speak another language.

While it’s not required for many positions, knowing another language provides several advantages for you and your future company (but mostly you). Not only can this skill demonstrate commitment, this versatile skill can also allow you to expand your network and it's a valuable asset for roles that involve communication with international partners.