Best Certifications for Remote Jobs

Not all certifications are created equal. Over the years, I've earn around 20 or technical and non-technical certifications, and I can honestly say less than half of them ever got me a job or won a client over.

However, there were a few that made my resume stand out from the pack when it came to remote jobs. Here are the best ones I've found, along with the requirements for obtaining the credential.

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  PMP - Project Management Professional

  Requirements - You must meet one of the following.

  • Bachelors Degree + 36 months of project lead experience + 35 contact hours of Project management education.
  • Associates Degree or High School Diploma + 60 months of project lead experience + 35 contact hours of Project management education.
  
  

  In remote environments, companies want to make sure you are organized and self-motivated. A great way to demonstrate this is sitting through the grueling, 4-hour exam needed to pass the project management institute's golden standard for all project managers.

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  CSM - Certified Scrum Master

  Requirements - You must meet one of the following.

  • Sit through an online or in-person course for two days (dual 8 hour sessions).
  • Pass an obscenely easy test.
  
  

  Honestly, this one seems like a money grab, but Scrum and Agile skills are in high demand. The test was around 30 questions long and easy enough to pass without sitting through both training days.

  You won't gain a lot from the course material or the test, but your resume will look nicer.

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  Salesforce Certified Administrator

  Requirements - You must meet one of the following.

  • Pass the Salesforce Certified Admin test.
  
  

  CRM Admin and developer jobs are hidden gems in the IT job market. The certifications are some of the best IT certifications for remote work.

  Salesforce is an overpriced, overly complicated tool but many places will pay a pretty penny for you to run their system.

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  COMPTIA A+ and Network+

  Requirements - You must meet one of the following.

  • Pass the COMPTIA administered tests.
  
  

  COMPTIA certifications have been around for years and are recognized throughout the globe by many companies. The tests themselves are the easiest technical exams I've took.

  I passed Security+, Network+, and A+ without any real-world experience. And I'm sure you can too! Employers want to know the remote workers they hire, know how to use a computer and troubleshoot common issues that could derail their productivity.

  Tech certifications for non-tech roles are a great way to grab the hiring managers attention.

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  Six Sigma Black Belt

  Requirements - You must meet one of the following.

  • For the ASQ one, you need three years of on-the-job-experience in one of the areas of the CSSBB body of knowledge, along with some signed affidavits for projects you completed. Every other certifying body requires an exam solely.
  
  

  I didn't go the ASQ route for my Six Sigma Black Belt, and I'll let you in on a little secret...no one cares where you got the certification from! Most people just like to see that you have it and will probably ask you some questions about methodologies, terms, etc.

  This is one of those certifications that are great for any role, tech, HR, finance; you name it. Everyone wants to minimize waste and defects in their business; this certification shows them you know how to do it.

I won't say that every certification not on this list won't land you a job. But it's important to research certifications on places like Indeed to see how much you can earn before buying anything.

Times are tough and many companies are coming out with weird certifications that only drain your wallet. If you cannot find a job posting where the certification you are considering pursuing is listed, look elsewhere.