Would people be knocking down your door asking you to work for them just because you completed a couple of courses? I expect not. Coursework does not equate to experience. You would need to show me (in your resume) that you have a knack for validation and that the coursework supplements your experiences. Irrespective of skills (on paper), the BEST way to land a job is through networking. Getting your resume in front of a hiring manager with the recommendation of someone inside the company will always win out over routing a resume cold through HR. Networking opportunities are everywhere. If you take the courses, try to network with everyone there. Some may be already employed and may be able to get you in front of the right people.
One other thing - and don’t take this the wrong way - but spelling and grammar do matter to many. If your resume is anything like the post (misspellings, improper punctuation, etc.), I would summarily disqualify you. I know postings are informal and most don’t care about punctuation, spelling, etc. Such practices on a resume would indicate to me insufficient communication skills.
i have been working with top professionals for over 25 years. They’re still employed and, I’m sorry to say, they have the worst writing skills I’ve ever seen! One guy even said to me…“i just try to get the point across and that is what matters…” Sad but true; i see this day in and day out…!
I’ve seen the same thing, too. In my first job out of college, I received a memo (in the days long before email!) from one of the Sr. Engineers telling me that the software was “sub-post” (supposed) to do such-and-such. That was a real eye-opener.
I know that spelling / grammar doesn’t equate to intelligence or even to the ability to do some jobs; however, I have always been very customer-oriented and I would not hire anyone exhibiting poor spelling or grammar in a resume or cover letter for fear that it would eventually result in a lowered customer opinion of me / my organization.
OK…everybody makes mistakes; but managers have secretaries and we have approvers and reviewers. Before you send a draft for approval, don’t be ashamed to have a second or third person go over it and proofread the document. Your document is a reflection of your professionalism! You must represent your company in a professional manner. If you can’t write and are ashamed to admit it; find another line of work where you can’t cause any damage…