6 free online courses with qualifications to boost your CV

Trying your hand at some free online courses is a brilliant way to keep your brain going during the holidays, or between graduation and landing that dream job that everyone keeps talking about.

Distance learning can also introduce you to subjects that you've maybe not had the chance to cover at uni. Plus, taking the initiative to learn something extra in your free time is solid gold CV material.

Even if the course doesn't directly relate to your career plans, just showing you're happy to commit a few hours to something extra-curricular with the aim to learn a new skill will look great on your CV and impress future employers.

What are the best free online courses?

Here are six of the best online courses that you can do for free:

1.Inbound marketing course with free certification

Course by: Hubspot Academy

Duration: Video 2.5 hours (plus two hours for the exam)

Qualification: Hubspot Academy's own certification

Cost of certificate: Free.

Inbound marketing is something that every business is prioritising in at least some shape or form. A course in inbound marketing is probably one of the best courses you can complete to get a job shortly after graduation.

Inbound marketing is when businesses use blogs, podcasts, social media and other off-site methods to direct people to their website.

Essentially, it's about using innovative methods of getting more traffic onto their website in the hope they'll attract new customers.

This free learn-from-home course is really straightforward, with a series of short video lectures and an exam at the end of the process. Also, you can use this course to brush up on your terms and terminology so you can succeed in interviews.

2.Learn basic HTML from home

Course by: Codecademy

Duration: Ongoing

Qualification: Codecademy's own certification

Cost of certificate: £15.99/month (for Pro access which allows you to get a certificate).

Learning code might sound super complicated but, in reality, it's more about knowing a fairly simple system (we're talking basic code here).

Everyone from fashion bloggers to journalists and even eBay sellers are coding regularly these days. In fact, we had to work with HTML to write this article!

So, it makes sense that you'd want to learn at least the basics of HTML coding before entering the job market. Luckily, free home study courses are available and you can start a course as soon as you find the time.

Codecademy offers a free, easy-to-navigate online course that will help you grasp the basics. And, if you want to develop beyond the basics, there's an option to pay a subscription fee to learn more advanced coding and gain a higher-level qualification.

As so much of the working world is transferring to the web, coding is one of the most valuable skills you can learn from home – and (dare we say) can even be quite fun. Give it a bash.

3. A crash-course on starting your own business

Course by: FutureLearn

Duration: Two weeks (two hours per week)

Qualification: Future Learn's own certification

Cost of certificate: £27 (to upgrade the course and receive a certificate).

This course is offered by the University of Leeds via FutureLearn, which is a really neat site owned and established by The Open University.

Their 'Starting a Business' program is a six-part online learning course aimed at preparing young people for the business world (it's technically considered a pre-undergraduate course, but is open to anyone).

Each of the six blocks is two weeks long, and you're expected to spend two hours per week on them. It won't take up too much of your valuable time, and you can choose to do whichever blocks you'd like and leave out any that aren't of interest.

However, to get the certificate, you'll need to complete all six blocks of the course.

This free online course is so versatile and the qualification you obtain can really help you stand out with future job applications.

A business course certification will look great to any employer, regardless of industry, as it shows you've got an entrepreneurial mind and that you've taken the initiative to try and understand how businesses actually work.

4.A certified course on social media strategy

Course by: Alison

Duration: 2-3 hours

Qualification: Alison's own certification

Cost of certificate: From around £17.

Social media's now a crucial skill in business, so having a qualification in this will really help you stand out to potential employers.

A certificate in social media strategy will look amazing on your CV. Your knowledge of social media as a young person is already invaluable to businesses, and something that many companies are desperate to tap into.

You're in the unique position of being able to help businesses better understand younger markets (their future customers, if not their current ones), so use this to your advantage.

And, this free course could also help you make some money as a professional social media stalker... if you so wish.

5.Customer service free qualification

Course by: Vision2Learn

Duration: 9 or 11 weeks (suggested study 10 hours per week)

Qualification: Level 2 nationally accredited certification

Cost of certificate: Free.

You might think this course would only be useful to people in customer service positions but, in reality, great customer service is beneficial across the board.

Take this free course to boost your CV and improve communication with colleagues as well as customers.

By the time you've completed the course, you'll be equipped with lots of great transferrable skills.

Having this qualification on your CV will show employers that you understand and respect communication etiquette in the workplace and that you're not likely to throw a strop in front of clients if you don't get your way. Here's hoping!

6.Analysing and visualising data with Excel

Course by: Microsoft (via edX)

Duration: 6 weeks (2-4 hours per week)

Qualification: Microsoft's own certification

Cost of certificate: Around £80.

While you'd need to pay for the graded exams and assignments (and a piece of paper to say you've passed), the free parts of this course would still be really useful in your job search and provide you with invaluable skills.

Microsoft Excel is really commonly used by companies so, even if you think you know loads about it already, there's definitely no harm in learning more – especially when you have some free time at home.

It's relatively easy to use Excel once you've got the hang of it, but it can be tricky to start out with. Employers know how much of a time-consuming nightmare it can be to hire someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Having this qualification on your CV will likely get potential employers very interested. Plus, arming yourself with some basic Excel knowledge will make your first day in the workplace much easier and a lot less sweaty.

Source: Savethestudent.org