Both education and certifications are important for showcasing your skills and career growth. Education provides a strong foundation of knowledge, while certifications validate specialized expertise through rigorous assessments.
It's helpful to understand how they differ, relate to your career growth, and how you should categorize them on your Andela Talent Cloud profile.
Education: A foundation of knowledge
Education is the cornerstone of learning, incorporating formal teaching and the growth of knowledge through schools, vocational programs, or online courses. The educational journey encompasses classes, lectures, tests, and degrees, which together create a solid foundation of knowledge and improve critical thinking skills.
Examples of education certificates
If you have completed courses with any of these institutions, please add them to the “Education” section of your profile within the Andela Talent Cloud.
- Traditional certificates from academic institutions (BSc, MSc, etc)
- Udemy certificate
- Data Camp Course completion certificate
- Coursera certificate of completion
- CodeSignal
- Cursa
- ALX
| Pro tip: Your certificate is better suited for the education section if the title includes keywords such as program, curriculum, learning pathway, education track, or academic journey, for example. |
Certification: Specialized validation of skills
Certification validates specific skills and industry standards, proving proficiency in a specific area rather than providing broad education. These programs are practical, often involving assessments or hands-on demonstrations. Many professionals pursue certifications to confirm expertise, enhance job prospects, and stay updated in fast-paced fields like IT, project management, healthcare, and technical sectors.
Examples of recognized certifications:
- CompTIA A+
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Salesforce Certified Administrator
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
- Oracle Certified Professional (OCP)
Both types of learning are valuable, but the certification section on your profile is specifically reserved for the latter type of credentials. Click on the drop-down menus within the certification section to view our most current list of certifications and their providers.
You can request that a certificate be added if it is not already present on the list. However, we may not accept it upon review based on these criteria. However, don't forget, you may use the Education section to highlight your learning achievements accordingly. Please reach out to the Talent Support team if you need further assistance with your certification entries on your profile!