Certifications have become increasingly important in India's job market, with recruiters using them as quick filters to shortlist candidates. A LinkedIn India survey found that professionals with relevant certifications receive 6x more profile views from recruiters. However, not all certifications carry equal weight — listing irrelevant or low-quality certifications can actually dilute your resume.
The standard format for listing certifications is: Certification Name — Issuing Organization, Month Year. For example: 'AWS Solutions Architect Associate — Amazon Web Services, March 2025.' If the certification has an expiration date, include it: 'PMP — Project Management Institute, 2024 (Valid through 2027).' If you're currently pursuing a certification, you can list it as: 'Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer — Expected June 2026.'
Placement on your resume depends on how central certifications are to the role. If certifications are a key requirement (e.g., AWS cert for cloud roles), place the Certifications section right after your Professional Summary. If they're supplementary, place them after Skills or Education. For freshers, certifications can partially compensate for lack of experience — place them prominently.
Which certifications matter in India 2026: Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP) command a 20-30% salary premium. AI/ML certifications (TensorFlow, Google ML, IBM AI) are increasingly valuable across all tech roles. Project management (PMP, PRINCE2, Scrum Master) adds value for team leads and managers. Domain-specific certifications (CFA for finance, ISTQB for testing, CCNA for networking) are essential for specialized roles. Free certifications from Coursera, Google, and NPTEL are respected when they're from reputable platforms.