Jasz
VIP Contributor
When it comes to your career, there are a lot of factors that can impact your salary. One of the most common questions we get is "which will increase my salary the most: work experience or a certificate?"
The answer is both, but in different ways.
Work experience is great because it shows that you can do the job. A certificate is great because it shows that you have a certain level of knowledge and skill in a field.
Let's say you're applying for an entry-level position with an electrical engineering firm. If you're competing against other people with similar backgrounds, then having some kind of certification showing that you understand electrical engineering would be helpful. But if there are no other candidates with similar qualifications, then having work experience would help more, you would have something concrete to show that you could do the job.
However, the best way to determine which option is right for you is to think about what matters most in your field, and whether or not a particular certification or work experience would help strengthen your application or stand out from other applicants.
The answer is both, but in different ways.
Work experience is great because it shows that you can do the job. A certificate is great because it shows that you have a certain level of knowledge and skill in a field.
Let's say you're applying for an entry-level position with an electrical engineering firm. If you're competing against other people with similar backgrounds, then having some kind of certification showing that you understand electrical engineering would be helpful. But if there are no other candidates with similar qualifications, then having work experience would help more, you would have something concrete to show that you could do the job.
However, the best way to determine which option is right for you is to think about what matters most in your field, and whether or not a particular certification or work experience would help strengthen your application or stand out from other applicants.