How and When To Put Coursera Certificates on a Resume

Coursera certificates can help show your expertise and sense of professional engagement. But they’re not always necessary on a resume, and may even distract from the message you’re trying to send employers. The trick is to view each credential in light of your goals so you can know whether it’ll add value to your overall application.

The following tips and examples will show you how to account for Coursera certificates properly on your resume.

When To Add Coursera To Your Resume

Consider including your Coursera certificate in these two cases:

1. The certificate relates to your target job

Think about the skills or knowledge you gained by the certificate. Do you hope to use that expertise in your next position? If yes, the certificate can be an asset on your resume. But if not, leave it out.

For example, say your certificate is in basic bookkeeping concepts. This can be a great item to include if you’re after an entry-level bookkeeping job, but not if you have years of bookkeeping experience and are changing careers.

Or imagine you’ve earned a Coursera certificate in user experience (UX) design. If you want to pivot from a marketing role to a UX role, including that certificate can help show your commitment to the field and the steps you’ve taken to gain relevant knowledge. On the other hand, if you’re staying in a senior-level marketing position, the certificate may feel out of place unless UX is a key component of the new role.

2. The certificate is distinct from your other career details

Since completing the Coursera program, have you gained similar credentials or experience? If those more recent experiences eclipse the certificate somehow, you can omit it for brevity.

The more work experience you have in your target field, the less likely you are to need Coursera certificates or other online learning on your resume. That’s why Coursera appears more often on resumes for career changers and entry-level applicants. If you’re in either of these categories, the certificate program may fill an important skill gap. It may also let you add job-related keywords that boost your resume’s performance on applicant tracking systems (ATS).

How To Format Your Certificate

Follow this template:

[Name of Certificate], [Name of Partnering School or Company] | [Completion date – optional]
[Description of certificate program – optional.]

Tip: Adding a description can help you clarify any programs with ambiguous names or unfamiliar subject matter.

Where To Add a Coursera Certificate on Your Resume

If you already have a section for credentials or certifications, you can add the certificate there. Alternatively, you can add it to your education section. Just change the section heading to “Education and Certificates” or “Education and Professional Development.”