You’ve earned a badge — now what? Here’s how a UMBC microcredential keeps working for you long after you’ve earned it.
Career advancement
Your microcredentials validate your achievements, skills, and competencies — and you can share them anywhere: your resume, your portfolio, LinkedIn, or directly with an employer.
- A stronger resume or CV: concrete evidence of what you can do, not just what you studied.
- A competitive edge: a diverse range of badges gives you an advantage with employers looking for specific, demonstrated skills.
- Alignment with your goals: focus on earning credentials directly relevant to the career path you want.
- A clearer skill showcase: employers and academic institutions can quickly see the depth and breadth of what you’ve learned.
“Northrop Grumman — headquartered minutes from UMBC’s campus — recognizes UMBC’s Digital Tech microcredentials as part of its summer internship program, using them to identify candidates with verified, specific technical skills.”
It’s already working close to home — a direct example of what a microcredential can do: turn coursework into something a regional employer can act on.
Personal and professional development
Earning microcredentials helps you understand your own strengths — and where to grow next.
- A personalized learning path: use what you’ve earned to set goals and plan your next steps.
- Motivation to keep learning: the pursuit of a new badge can be the nudge you need to take on a new challenge.
- Recognition for soft skills: communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving — skills that matter as much as technical ones.
- Support for continuous improvement: track your progress and identify where you could use more training or experience.
Built for a digital, lifelong learning journey
Microcredentials are designed to travel with you well beyond a single transcript or program.
- A lifelong record: your microcredentials document your learning journey beyond formal education.
- Transparency and portability: easily share your credentials with employers, academic institutions, or anyone else who needs them.
- Built for what’s next: each credential carries structured metadata, readable by both people and software — which can work in your favor when employers use AI tools to screen applications.
Ready to see what you’ve earned? Visit UMBC Digital Badges to view your records, share a credential, or browse what else you could earn next.
Questions about your badge or Coursera access? Check out the FAQs or submit a support ticket.