Professional Certificate Courses You Should Take in 2018

Come next year, I am sure you will be looking to grow in your career and get good jobs as well. With the current competitive job market in order for you to achieve this, you need to set yourself apart from other job seekers. This can only be done by pursuing additional professional certificate courses.
1. Procurement Professionals
Whether you want to grow in your career as a procurement professional or you are looking to land a great job, taking a professional certificate course is something you should take up come 2018.
In order to set yourself apart from other procurement officials, you will need to pursue an additional course to boost your diploma or degree.
Most jobs nowadays for procurement professionals require certifications from Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)
Some even want someone with working knowledge of SAP software and ERP.
So really you cannot go wrong by deciding to take up these courses depending on where you want your career to go.
READ ALSO >>> Top 5 Benefits of Short Professional Courses in Your Career
2. IT Professionals
IT is among one of the most marketable courses to pursue in Kenya today. This is due to the growth of the digital era which has in turn created a need for more IT professionals.
In order to make it as an IT professional in this country, having just a degree or diploma is not enough. You need to take additional courses such as the Microsoft certification course such as MCSE which is a course that is aimed at equipping one with the ability to design, install, setup and troubleshoot Microsoft based networks.
There is also the CISCO, CCNA which equips professionals with the ability to design, set up, install and maintain networks, including WAN and LAN networks.
Having such certifications will ensure that you are in a better position to land a well paying job and will give you an advantage over other job seekers.
3. Human Resource
For starters, any HR professional is required by law to take up a Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) certificate.
Other than that there are many more professional certificate courses you can take up that will increase your chances of landing jobs.
These include; a post graduate diploma in Human Resource Management, Certified Human Resource Director (CHRD) certificate.
One is also required to be knowledgeable with Human Resources Information Systems, Hiring Management systems or any other HR software.
This will ensure that you have an edge over every other job applicant and in turn will increase your chances of getting your dream job.
READ ALSO >>> Top 10 Marketable Diploma Courses In Kenya
4 Accounting
Almost all jobs advertised in accounting require applicants to have CPA/ACCA qualifications. Some even go as far as requiring one to have CPA (K)
Other than that, some jobs also require that you have certification in various accounting packages for example, QuickBooks.
Having these certificates or taking the short courses, will help improve your standing in the job market and increase your chances of getting a job.
It is almost impossible to find an accounting job advertised that does not require any additional certification. It is therefore important to take up one or even more courses to better your chances.
RELATED ARTICLE >>> What HR, Engineering & Other Professionals Should Pursue
Because of the ever demanding job market, individuals have had to adapt in order to stay ahead of the competition. This means taking short courses to boost your profession is not only advisable but almost mandatory.
Also, in order to succeed in your career you need to have a good career plan in place. You can contact a Career Adviser if you need help with this.
By Michelle Wanjiku
The writer is a communications officer/digital marketer at career Point Kenya. Email: michelle@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke