Tech is an ever-evolving sector, and there continues to be more and more jobs available. You could get a college degree in a relevant field or obtain a Google Career Certificate. These certificates provide you with the skills you need to earn a job in several high-demand areas, such as data analytics, IT support, and project management. These certificates are accessible online on any device, such as the best Chromebooks, and don't have any prerequisites to enroll, such as a college degree or relevant experience. This article takes a closer look at the Google Career Certificate program, associated costs, and common questions prospective students may have.
What are Google Career Certificates?
The Google Career Certificate program provides professional certifications from Google for high-growth, in-demand jobs that are earned entirely through online courses. The program was started in 2018 as part of the Grow With Google initiative and has grown in size and offerings. Each certificate allows users to learn at their own pace and is accessed through a third-party online learning platform called Coursera.
These certificates help users learn through a mix of hands-on projects, assignments, and assessments and are aimed at beginners in each field. Google claims that with a time investment of about 10 hours a week, most learners earn their certificate in three to six months. Google also claims that 75% of certificate holders report the credential helped them earn a new job with a median salary of $76,000.
What certificates are available?
There are six certificates in high-growth fields available through the program. These are:
Cybersecurity: A certificate for those looking to monitor threats and vulnerabilities to digital information and systems. Learners gain knowledge about common risks, threats, and vulnerabilities and how to identify and mitigate them. Common job titles for certificate earners are cybersecurity analyst, security analyst, SOC analyst, information security assistant, IT security analyst, and cyber defense analyst.
Data Analytics: This certificate is for those who wish to learn the fundamentals of collecting, organizing, and drawing conclusions from sets of data. This certificate gives you experience with R, SQL, Python, Tableau, and other data visualization software. Earners of this certificate find jobs such as data analyst, junior data analyst, associate data analyst, operations analyst, and business systems analyst.
Digital Marketing & E-commerce: This certificate helps participants learn digital marketing tools and how to use those tools to grow customers and online sales. Participants receive online training on managing and maintaining customers and creating digital campaigns to sell items online. Relevant job titles associated with this certificate are marketing coordinator, e-commerce associate, paid search specialist, email marketing specialist, media planner, and digital marketing specialist.
IT Support: Learners interested in maintaining networks and devices and supporting the users of those systems gain job-ready skills with this certificate. The coursework includes lessons on troubleshooting, customer support, system administration, Python, and more. Graduates of this program find jobs with titles such as IT support II, systems administrator, site reliability engineer, senior IT support technician, and advanced IT technician.
Project Management: The Google project management certificate helps learners who are responsible for ensuring projects run on time and budget and managing all parties involved. The certificate courses include information on traditional and agile methods of managing projects and how to manage projects effectively. Common titles for people who complete this certificate are project manager, project coordinator, project assistant, program manager, scrum master, project analyst, and technical project manager.
UX Design: The UX design certificate teaches participants how to make the user experience for products easier to use and aesthetically pleasing. The coursework teaches users new skills in user ideation, focus testing, creating prototypes, wireframing, and other basics of user experience design. Certificate graduates find jobs with titles such as UX designer, UI designer, interaction designer, visual designer, and product designer.
Some of these certificates offer an entry-level certification for those without relevant experience seeking an entry-level role and an advanced certificate for those with some job experience. Google provides advanced certificates in advanced data analytics, business intelligence, and IT automation with Python. There are also specialized certificates from Google partners, such as the data analytics certificate with specialties in finance and the public sector, an IT support certificate specializing in healthcare, and project management certificates for construction and sustainability.
How much do certificates cost?
These certificates are not free but are more affordable than a four-year degree. Every certificate is administered through the Coursera platform, so the only cost is access to the Coursera platform. After a 7-day free trial, access costs $49 per month, so for those who complete a certification in six months, it will cost $294 plus tax. Coursera also provides financial aid programs by clicking the Financial aid available button when accessing a course on the platform.
Will a certificate help me find a job?
While Google can not guarantee that all graduates will find a job, they claim that 75% have a positive job outcome. Google offers benefits to job seekers who hold certificates through their Career Circle platform. This platform provides free one-on-one coaching for job search skills such as interviewing and resumes and a job board with postings from companies in the Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium. Companies in this consortium include Deloitte, Infosys, Snap Inc., Target, and Verizon, and they commit to considering graduates for entry-level jobs.
Get certified with Google
Google Career Certificates are a great way for those who don't want to pay for a four-year degree to gain the skills necessary to get a job in growing technical fields. These certificates are relatively affordable and can be completed online and at your own pace. To do more learning, check out some great Android educational apps.