The underrated resource of Google qualifications

In the context of your career, - if there was an opportunity to add to your skill set, help build your CV, or enable you to land the job of your dreams and, if on top of that, it didn’t cost you anything, why wouldn’t you take it?

It’s therefore somewhat surprising to me how many graduates or individuals looking to break into the media industry are not aware of the completely free set of qualifications and certifications offered by Google.

Their list of topics to study includes;

1. Google Ads
2. Analytics Academy
3. Google Marketing Platform
4. YouTube
5. Google For Education
6. Google Ad Manager
7. Authorised Buyers
8. Google AdMob
9.  

Three of the subjects; Google Ads, Analytics Academy and Google Marketing Platform offer a certification widely recognised within the professional world. Having a qualification like this listed on your CV takes you from ‘fresh Grad’ to ‘actively learning in order to enter the industry’ in a relatively painless and easy process.
If that seems like a good idea, check out the other subjects on offer. Whilst these may not get you any certificates, they will still provide you with solid practical knowledge and make your CV look more attractive to employers.

Take the Google Ads certification for example; 

This course covers; display, search, video, shopping and measurement – all essential parts of many media roles - (particularly planning, buying and PPC)

To receive a qualification in the Search section of this course takes a total of around 3 and a half hours, is made for those with little to no prior knowledge and by the end you will have a recognised skill, supported on LinkedIn and a very underrated addition to any CV. So, in around 12 hours, you could actually have five separate certificates making you fully Google Ads Certified.

Still not satisfied? Why stop there when there are the other seven courses to take?

Google is, of course, not the only provider of such free knowledge. 
Apple also offer free in-store training sessions on new products and tools. Their list of classes is extensive and includes;

• Mac Advanced Basics
• Spreadsheets Made Easy For Mac
• Share Your Ideas With Keynote
•  

Other subjects include anything from how to use an iPhone to creating cinema-quality footage via Final Cut Pro X!

These are only a fraction of the free courses available online but when you consider something like the IPA Foundation Certificate which takes 30 hours, ends in a formal 2 hour exam and can cost up to £500, or the Level 3 Foundation Certificate offered by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, which costs upwards of £400 –

Google’s virtual classroom offers a free and valuable alternative. These courses allow you to work at your own pace remotely from the comfort of your laptop, with each lesson split into 15-minute sections and is well worth the investment of your time. Apple offers more of a group learning experience with personal tutors as well.
So wat’s stopping you?

Sources:

Google’s skills store:
https://skillshop.exceedlms.com/student/catalog/browse

How to find an Apple training session:
https://uk.pcmag.com/apple-3/89098/how-to-take-a-free-apple-product-workshop

Apple’s support page:
https://support.apple.com/