If you're a recent graduate, you may not have the work experience that employers are looking for. So, it's vital to find another way to stand out from the pool of candidates applying for the position you desire.

Certifications are an excellent way to give yourself leverage over other candidates because you've learned skills and best practices in a particular area. Depending on the career path you choose, there may be a certification that can help you stand out to potential employers.

Here are the top seven certifications that you can pursue as a recent graduate:

1. Meta Certification

Meta is an excellent certification for anyone pursuing a marketing or social media management career. There are various levels of certifications and a variety of courses you can take under each category:

Associate

Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate: To achieve your designation as a Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate, you must demonstrate your ability to create, manage, and report on ads using Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

Professional

Meta Certified Marketing Science Professional: This certification measures your ability to use data insights and measurement to make informed marketing recommendations.

Meta Certified Creative Planning Professional: If you're looking to prove your advanced understanding and strategic use of the fundamentals of mobile on Meta apps and services, you may consider pursuing this certification.

Meta Certified Planning Professional: This certification measures your ability to create Meta media strategies that align with your business goals and marketing plans.

Meta Certified Media Buying Professional: You can demonstrate your ability to manage campaigns to achieve the business goals needed to buy ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

Meta Certified Marketing Developer: This certification measures your ability to implement marketing solutions technically (e.g., Meta Pixel, Custom Conversions, and Standard Events).

Meta Certified Community Manager: Completing this certification demonstrates your advanced understanding of standards and best practices for online community engagement.

Meta Certified Spark AR Creator: This certification acknowledges your advanced ability to translate complex ideas into high-fidelity spark AR experience management.

2. HubSpot Social Media Marketing Certification

You'll appreciate that HubSpot offers this certification free if finances are limited. HubSpot's Social Media Marketing Certification is for aspiring marketers, marketing managers, and social media marketers. The course takes over four hours to complete and has 29 quizzes, 38 videos, and eight lessons.

The course teaches you how to develop the conversation about your business online, earn loyalty, attract new partners and customers, build brand awareness, and drive word of mouth to attract buyers. Crystal King, a HubSpot Academy professor, leads this course. In this certification, you will learn how to:

• Create an effective social media strategy
• Establish social listening and moderation
• Develop social content
• Excel in digital advertising
• Measure ROI

3. Certified Blockchain Expert

Suppose you'd like to have a better understanding of Blockchain-based business applications. In that case, you may consider pursuing the comprehensive curriculum that introduces you to the various elements of Blockchain technology and the industry developing around it.

This certification is for anyone who wants to learn everything there is to know about enterprise Blockchains and how you can use them in the sector you wish to work in. The course is self-paced and takes about eight hours to complete.

Benefits

• Prove Blockchain skills and understanding
• Gain an in-depth understanding of Blockchain and its implementation
• Implement skills in any Blockchain applications
• Build your Blockchain enterprise with the knowledge gained

What you receive

• Blockchain Council Certification
• Lifetime access to course material
• 24/7 support to answer your questions
• Hands-on industry project experience

Allows you to qualify as a:

• Blockchain architect
• Blockchain project manager
• Blockchain consultant

4. Certified Professional Sales Person

The Certified Professional Sales Person designation is for anyone looking for an advantage in a career in sales. Whether you plan to be a business owner or CEO, a sales executive, or a sales professional, this may be the certification you're looking for.

Pursuing this certification can help you learn how to move your clients through the different stages of the buyer's journey with ease. After completing this certification, you may stop using outdated sales techniques and replace them with the modern sales strategies you learn in the program.

You may also learn to develop positive habits that drive success in today's sales environment. You will also have access to unique sales techniques that the top 1% of salespeople globally have shared through modeling, interviewing, and coaching. The program also allows you to:

• Build sales habits the Top Fortune 500 sales teams are using
• Expertly negotiate modern sales and guide potential clients through the buying journey
• Implement behaviors that set you apart from other sales professionals
• Use customer-centric communication skills to close the sale

If you're planning to be a salesperson on the move, you may want to check out these five productivity tools.

5. Certified Associate in Project Management

Getting your certification in project management can help you stand out to hiring managers. Project Management certification with the Project Management Institute is the gold standard in the industry. This certification can benefit anyone interested in managing large projects, taking on more responsibility, and looking to add project management skills to their resume.

Before pursuing your certification as an associate in project management, you must meet the following pre-requisites:

• High school diploma, equivalent, or associate's degree
• 23 hours of project management education completed before the exam

You have three hours to complete the exam, and it has 150 questions. The Certified Associate in Project Management requires 15 professional development units (PDUs) every three years to maintain your certificate. Two types of PDUs count towards renewal: education and giving back.

6. AWS Certification

The AWS certification validates your expertise and technical skills to grow your career or business. You have two options for taking the exam, and you can do it online or at a testing center. There are four different categories that the certifications fall under:

• Foundational
• Associate
• Professional
• Specialty

Foundational

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: The foundational level of certification involves six months of fundamental industry and AWS cloud knowledge.

Associate

One year of experience implementing solutions and solving problems using AWS cloud is required to pursue certifications at this level.

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect
• AWS Certified Developer
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

Professional

You need two years of operating, designing, and troubleshooting solutions using the AWS cloud.

• AWS DevOps Engineer Certification
• AWS Solutions Architect

Specialty

To achieve the specialty level of certification, you need technical AWS could experience in this category.

• AWS Certified SAP on AWS
• AWS Certified Security
• AWS Certified Machine Learning
• AWS Certified Database
• AWS Certified Data Analytics
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking

If you're wondering which cloud service certification you should pursue, you may want to read about AWS and Microsoft Azure and learn which cloud service is best.

7. Microsoft Certified Professional

Achieving your certification as a Microsoft Professional demonstrates your knowledge of the value of implementing Microsoft 365 cloud services, the basics of SaaS, and the benefits of adopting cloud services. This certification is for those who want to:

• Demonstrate foundation-level knowledge of cloud services, standard practices, considerations, and benefits
• Show fluency in SaaS solutions, especially MS 365 offerings
• Highlight your familiarity with the Microsoft 365 cloud service options currently available

The certification measures your skills, such as your ability to describe:

• Microsoft 365 pricing and support
• Security, compliance, privacy, and trust in Microsoft 365
• Core Microsoft 365 services and concepts
• Cloud concepts

You can study the materials for your Microsoft 365 certification online in a self-paced manner or sign up for training with an instructor. In addition, there is a practice exam if you'd like to prepare before taking the test.

Make the Best of Your Certification

It would help to consider your future career path when deciding which certification to pursue. Ensure that you are interested in the topic you're seeking certification in. It's easier to remain focused and committed to completing the process if you're doing it because you're interested and not just to help elevate your career.

Remember, you're getting certified in an area you hope will help you progress in your career, so it should be a topic you see yourself working with in the future.