What certifications are employers looking for?
Did you know that CareerOneStop analyzes approximately two million job postings to identify the certifications mentioned the most by employers and hiring managers? This information can help job seekers who want to add a marketable certification to their resume to help them stand out in their job search. Gaining an in-demand certification can also help individuals advance to the next level in many fields. CareerOneStop researchers started their latest analysis with a snapshot of all job postings on the National Labor Exchange (NLx) in November 2023. NLx includes jobs posted on state job banks as well as by private employers. The researchers first identified all postings that included references to any certifications listed in CareerOneStop's
Certification Finder. Then they focused in on those certifications that showed up most frequently.
- CPR
- Basic Life Support
- Certified Nurse Assistant
- Medical Assistant
- Plumbing
- AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
- Family Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- Patient Care Technician
This year’s analysis also identified a subset of emerging certifications that did not appear on last year’s list of in-demand certifications. These included certifications for Medical Assistant, Plumbing, Certified Personal Trainer, and Emergency Medicine. These careers may be growing or experiencing a lot of job openings.
New on CareerOneStop: Updated Local Training Finder
CareerOneStop recently added every state's list of WIOA-eligible short-term training programs to the
Local Training Finder. This means that, along with programs at public and private colleges, users can now find training provided by public and private non-profits and other providers across the United States. This addition brings a tremendous expansion of the pre-vetted training options your customers can search to gain meaningful credentials for their career readiness and job qualifications. Visit the enhanced Local Training Finder to search for training, from six-week certificates to two-year, four-year, and graduate programs, in any career or industry in any local U.S. area. Start your search with a keyword for an occupation or program name, or search for specific colleges or other training providers. Once you enter keywords for your search, you'll get a list of results and the option to drill down into any program or provider on that list for more details and contact information. You can easily filter your list of training programs based on any of these criteria:
- The average length of the certificate or degree program (from less than 12 weeks to beyond bachelor's degree)
- The program name The college or training provider's name Whether the training is mostly online, in-person, or hybrid
- The occupation(s) the program prepares participants to work in Whether the program has been certified as eligible for WIOA funding
- The size of the geographic area your search includes (if you searched by ZIP code)
- Whether the provider offers at least one training program that has been certified as eligible for WIOA funding
- The size of the geographic area your search includes (if you searched by ZIP code)
Why is WIOA designation important for all training seekers?
Gaining a certificate or other credential can be key for entering or advancing in nearly any career field. But the world of short-term training programs can be overwhelming. And stories about students wasting their money on dead-end training programs and ending up without job prospects are a real concern. That's why the U.S. Department of Labor vets and certifies training programs that qualify for funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). They look for programs that have been shown to lead to employment in an occupation that is in demand in the local area. Each state compiles an Eligible Training Providers List of all training programs that have been approved for WIOA funding. Programs from those lists now show up in CareerOneStop's
Local Training Finder with a WIOA designation. The WIOA designation indicates that a program has been identified as high-quality preparation for employment in an in-demand career. That's good news for
people who qualify for WIOA-funded training but it's also good news for any member of the public looking to improve their prospects for landing an in-demand job.
Featured Resource -Ideas for First jobs
Whether you're 14, 24, or 64, when it's time to look for an entry-level job, it can be hard to know where to start.
CareerOneStop offers a list of work ideas that are commonly open to people without previous experience or special training. The list includes dozens of job ideas with details such as what you'd typically do on the job, the average pay, any helpful training, and a link to job listings in any local area.
Visit Ideas for first jobs and check out ideas in these categories:
- Jobs in foodservice
- Jobs in retail and other services
- Jobs that keep you on the move
- Jobs with lots of time outdoors
Professional Associations: Your Gateway to Networking & Growth
We talk so often about the value of networking in our field, yet we know so many of our customers find the idea terrifying, confusing, or difficult to know where to begin. Professional and industry associations can help reduce the fear of networking as well as provide up-to-date, even cutting-edge, training and knowledge in a field. Associations sponsor learning opportunities like conferences, social gatherings, and member events. These are the venues where people in the field talk about the relevant topics of the day, raising important questions, naming trends, and identifying threats and opportunities influencing the field currently and in the near future. Association events are a place to hear the current language and vocabulary of the field. Networking is often formally encouraged at association events. These connection points offer a means to develop a network of peers who can help with a job search, mentorship, or project collaboration. It’s much easier to network with people who have signed on to be part of a community of practitioners than it is to reach out to a cold contact. Many associations also publish some form of communication with members that may include new research and articles on trends or issues that impact the field.
CareerOneStop’s
Professional Association Finder is an easy way to find associations. It lists national professional and industry associations; to use the tool, enter the name of an industry or occupation. From the results list, you can link to each association's website.
The results also list two helpful details: there’s a "Career Center" column that indicates associations that list employment opportunities on the association’s website. Sometimes this is protected information for members only, but more often it’s publicly accessible information, and the job listings may not be widely posted on major job banks. The "Certification" column indicates which associations sponsor a related certification.
CareerOneStop compiles and maintains this information.
Resources For: New Americans
Do you work with refugees, immigrants, or other recent arrives to the United States? CareerOneStop collects career, training, and job search resources that can help newcomers find and secure employment. Topics covered include:
• What types of jobs fit my skills?
• I need training or education.
• I need to find job openings.
• What benefits or other assistance are available?
• What if I don't have work authorization?
• What if I live outside the United States?
Find key resources for career counselors, academic advisors, and other workforce professionals. Resources include:
• CareerOneStop overview video for workforce professionals
• WorkforceGPS webinar series
• How-to guides
• Federal resources and more!