Are MOOC certificates from Coursera and edX helpful in getting jobs?

[Carolyn]

MOOC credentials are gaining ground with employers
Article by Carolyn McIntyre, CEO & Founder of MoocLab

Over the past five years the number of MOOCs has increased and so has the number of learners enrolling on these online courses. Based on an analysis conducted by MOOC directory ClassCentral in December 2016, the total number of courses on offer reached close to 7,000 with 2,600+ new courses being announced in 2016 (vs. 1800 the previous year). In addition, an estimated 58 million students signed up for at least one MOOC of which 23 million registered for a MOOC for the first time.

Coursera and edX, the two major MOOC providers, give their students the option to gain a “verified certificate” on successful completion of a course or program. The process of verification involves ensuring the authenticity of the credential through identity checking and providing proof that the certificate holder (and not someone else) completed the course.

Holding an ID verified certificate for an online course is particularly attractive to those who are studying MOOCs for career advancement or job prospecting. But just how valuable are MOOC certificates in the eyes of employers? By delving deeper into this crucial question, the results are quite encouraging.

Although there is no public data on the overall role of MOOCs in recruitment, a Coursera survey of 52,000 MOOC students featured in the Harvard Business Review, Who’s Benefiting from MOOCs, and Why? , revealed that 72% of respondents had benefitted professionally from MOOCs, and of those actively seeking to build their careers, 87% reported a positive outcome with 26% claiming that MOOCs had helped them find a new job and 9% had started their own business.

These career achievements from MOOC-based learning are often featured on both Coursera and edX “Learner Stories” where students share their success stories about getting their dream jobs or making career changes. You can learn, for example, how edX courses helped Akshay Kulkarni get a job at Microsoft, Harleen begin a new career in data science, or Nooree get a job as a supply chain planner. Equally Coursera courses have helped Russel land his first industry job, which eventually grew into a leadership role with a major company, and Kemberli land a competitive internship and a full-time job at a top company.

There are also encouraging signs that MOOCs are gaining recognition from leading corporates. Coursera for Business claim some big corporate customers such as AirFrance, L’Oréal or PayPal and we have recently seen AXA and Coursera join forces to enrich the training curriculum for all AXA employees in 64 countries. The insurance giant will be giving their employees access to over 300 courses in fields such as data science, project management, digital marketing and language learning.

This corporate interest in MOOCs is also evident in the edX MicroMasters Programs which highlight the public endorsements of leading corporate names such as IBM, Walmart, pwc and others. It is clear from these endorsements that the courses are recognised by industry leaders as providing the levels of skill required to take up jobs within the respective companies.

In addition to corporate recognition of MOOC-based credentials, Governments have shown an interest, too, where they pay for courses on behalf of users to upskill both the general population and their own employees. Coursera announced in January 2017 partnering with government agencies across seven countries including the USA, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore and others.

It is clear that MOOC credentials are gaining ground within business, and that now, much more so than before, having MOOC-based learning on your CV can benefit your career. But for an employer to take notice, it is important to keep your MOOC portfolio as focused as possible and highlight only the credentials obtained from reputable providers.


Have you seen... Get hired with an edX MicroMasters Certificate