Business certifications compared

Both come from PMI. The CAPM needs no work experience, so a student can earn it now; the PMP needs years of experience leading projects, so it comes later. Holding the CAPM also covers the PMP’s training requirement.

Both are FINRA exams for the securities industry. Anyone 18 or older can take the SIE, with no employer needed. The Series 7 needs a sponsoring firm, so it is taken after you are hired, and it also requires the SIE.

The CPA is a state license and the only one that lets you sign audit opinions; it suits public accounting and many corporate roles. The CMA is a certification in management accounting and financial planning inside companies. Many accountants hold both.

The CFA charter is for analyzing investments and managing portfolios; the CFP certification is for advising people on their whole financial plan. Students can start the CFA within 23 months of graduating; the CFP starts with registered coursework.

Both are respected HR certifications from different organizations. The SHRM-CP needs no HR experience, so students can take it; the PHR needs one to four years of professional HR work, so students who want an HRCI credential start with the aPHR.

Both certify that you understand Scrum, the most common agile framework. The CSM requires a two-to-three-day course and renews every two years; the PSM I is a self-study test that costs less and does not expire.

Both are beginner programs on Coursera with no experience required. Google’s covers spreadsheets, SQL, Tableau and Python and ends with a case study; IBM’s covers Excel, SQL and Python, plus IBM’s Cognos Analytics.