Career Forward

Propel your career forward

Learn job-ready skills and start a new career in under six months with help from Google Career Certificates.

About Career Forward

Career Forward is a new learner-to-earner program that can help you level up your career for free. Gain industry-recognized skills through a Google Career Certificate in data analytics, IT support, project management, or user experience (UX) design. Then you’ll connect with ready-to-hire employers.

Google Career Certificates offer flexible, online training for in-demand jobs and no prior education or experience is required to enroll. Regardless of where you are in your career journey — or where in the world you’re currently located — Career Forward can work for you.

Grow Your Career

Learn Job-Ready Skills

Earn a Google Career Certificate
As a Career Forward learner, you'll enroll in a Google Career Certificate program of your choice. This flexible, self-paced job training can be completed in three to six months, part-time. Throughout the program, you'll receive individual support from HOH staff and have regular opportunities to engage with fellow learners, program graduates, and professionals in the certificate field.
Connect with Ready-to-Hire Employers
After earning your certificate, you’ll gain access to job search support, like interview prep and career workshops. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with ready-to-hire employers — including Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, Freedom Learning Group, Verizon, and of course, Google — through HOH hiring events, Fellows Programs, and Career Connectors.

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Career Forward

Why Earn a Google Career Certificate?

No experience necessary

Learn job-ready skills, even with no relevant experience. There are 1,300,000 in-demand job openings across certificate fields.

Stand out to employers

Make your resume competitive with a credential from Google. 82% of Career Certificate graduates report a positive career impact in six months.

A path to in-demand jobs

Connect with top employers that are currently hiring for these skills. The average salary for entry-level roles across certificate fields $63,600.

Success Stories

“The way the certificate is structured is so accommodating to moms, working parents, or working individuals because you can do it at your own pace.”

Lauren Harms
Administrative Business Partner, Google
Google Project Management Certificate

Success Stories

“When I went on the job hunt, I had no degree and no credentials outside of the IT certificate…I’m thrilled that my employer saw promise in my new skills and experience.”

Taslim Mohammed
IT Resident, Google
Google IT Support Certificate

Success Stories

“I took the Google IT Support Certificate because I wanted a certificate on my resume to show my knowledge of IT. After completing the course, I began my job search. I landed a position as Assistant Director of Information Technology at a Non-Profit Law Firm. My pay almost doubled and the benefits package is incredible. “

Joe Luna
Assistant Director of Information Technology
U.S. Navy veteran

Success Stories

“I was feeling stagnant in my career as a digital marketer and really wanted to enter a new high-demand career path that could lead me to new industries. Completing the course opened my eyes to the Project Management Institute certification, which I am now pursuing. I feel excited for the first time in a long time for what my career possibilities will be.”

Maria Oliviera
Project Manager, Media Nonprofit
Google Project Management Certificate

Explore

Google Career Certificates

Prepare for a new career in a high-growth field in under six months, no experience required. You’ll get professional training designed by Google and will have the opportunity to connect with hundreds of employers.

Data Analytics
Data analysts collect, transform, and organize data to make informed business decisions. Learn more.
IT Support
IT specialists troubleshoot problems so computers and networks run correctly. Learn more.
Project Management
Project managers ensure projects within an organization are managed and completed with maximum value. Learn more.
User Experience (UX) Design
UX designers make digital and physical products easier and more enjoyable to use. Learn more.

Marine Corps veteran Amie Hanbury wasn't fulfilled with her post-military career, so she decided to pursue a new career with the Google IT Support Certificate.

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Career Forward

Get started today.

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Career Forward

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to participate in Career Forward?

This program is available to transitioning service members (within one year of separating from active duty), military spouses,* and veterans.

* HOH recognizes that military spouses’ careers are impacted by their service members’ military service. That’s why every HOH event and program is open to all military, veteran, and Gold Star spouses.

Where does the program take place?

The entire learning program is virtual.

What if I am overseas?

Learners can be located at overseas military bases as long as they have plans to return stateside within one year. When they return to the United States, these participants will have the opportunity to apply to the fellowship portion of the program.

Do I need experience in the certificate field?

Google Career Certificates provide training for in-demand jobs in the fields of data analytics, IT support, project management, and user (UX) experience design. No experience is required to earn a certificate. To learn more, visit grow.google/certificates.

How long will it take to complete the certificate?

On average, learners who study for 8 to 10 hours per week can complete the certificate in 3 to 6 months. The Google Career Certificates through Coursera are self-paced and completion time is highly variable, but many learners finish in much less than 6 months. The user license is only available for 6 months, so taking longer to complete is not recommended.

What is the program schedule for learners?

Once learners enroll in Career Forward and attend an orientation with the HOH program manager, learners gain access to the self-paced Google Career Certificate curriculum. Services include weekly huddles and webinars to help learners stay on track with completing the course; open office hours for learners to ask questions to program managers; and other opportunities for engagement and support.

Where can I access the Google Career Certificate once I’ve applied through Hiring Our Heroes?

Google Career Certificates are available globally in English on Coursera. The Google IT Support Certificate is also available in Spanish and Portuguese. We are working to make the certificates available in more languages.

What is Coursera?

Coursera is a global online learning platform that offers access to online courses. Google has worked with Coursera to make Google Career Certificates available on their platform.

What if I’ve already started a Google Career Certificate through Coursera?

If you are already paying for a Google Career Certificate through Coursera, but haven’t completed it yet, please let an HOH program manager know when completing your application. HOH has the ability to take over your subscription for the next billing cycle, allowing you to complete the remainder of your certificate for free.

What happens after earning a Google Career Certificate?

In addition to expert training and hands-on projects designed to prepare you for a job in your field of choice, you'll get access to a resume-building tool, mock interviews and career networking support through Hiring Our Heroes and Big Interview. These resources are designed to help you with your job search. Career Forward participants will also have the opportunity to apply to the Hiring Our Heroes Fellows Programs, a collection of best-in-class workforce development programs that place highly skilled and educated transitioning service members, military spouses, and veterans with employers committed to hiring them.