by Is there such thing as a WordPress certification? Can you become a certified WordPress developer?
The short answer is no. There is no official WordPress developer certification. As a matter of fact, suggesting that you are a WordPress certified developer in a job interview or on your resume is likely to backfire. Any savvy interviewer is going to know that certification in WordPress is bogus.
Learn about your WordPress Course options »
One-on-One WordPress Training
There are ways to demonstrate competence in WordPress without adding “certification” to your resume:
- Link to your portfolio on your resume and feature at least three websites created in WordPress.
- Get professional WordPress training and add it to your resume.
- Convey competence and confidence during an interview. When you have a genuine understanding of WordPress, it will show in the way you speak and the examples you describe.
So how to become WordPress certified isn’t the only question. What matters is acquiring the skills you need to become proficient at WordPress. You can achieve that through WordPress training or by teaching yourself (what I did and don’t recommend!).
A certified WordPress developer? Anybody can sell you a WordPress training certificate
Got a printer? Anybody can print a certificate and sell it to you as a WordPress certification. You don’t even have to take a WordPress developer certification exam.
There are companies that prey on people anxious to become a certified expert WordPress developer. They’ll use your desire to land a WordPress developer job for their own gain.
There is no official certifying body overseeing an official certification in WordPress. Likewise, there is no official WordPress skills test to become a certified WordPress developer.
You don’t need to be WordPress certified to be a trusted pro at WordPress. My personalized, in-person WordPress training equips you with the skills and confidence you need to create and manage WordPress websites.
Contact my friendly office today to learn more about my hands-on approach to WordPress training. Call (844) 972-6224 or send us a message through our inquiry form.
The difference between real certifications and worthless certifications
It’s possible to become certified in various technology products. That is because their creators have developed standards and testing for certifications. As the product developer, they are authorized and most qualified to measure competence.
A great example of a valuable certification is the Quickbooks certification offered by Intuit, the makers of Quickbooks. This certification process follows the typical path. First, students get the training classes and materials from authorized instructors. Then, students take an exam from an independent testing center. Students must pass the exam in order to earn certification.
This type of certification just might help you if it is on your resume because it’s recognized as legitimate.
Unlike Intuit, with WordPress, there is no official managing body to oversee training and testing for competency in WordPress.
Most importantly, the WordPress Foundation, the nonprofit organization behind the free WordPress software, does not currently endorse WordPress certifications. That WordPress certification you saw advertised online? It’s not backed by anything or anyone associated with WordPress.
Offering certification is a for-profit venture. Many technology product creators offer certification in their product for two reasons.
- To protect the reputation and quality of their brand
- To earn money from their technology product
Professional WordPress Development Courses
The good news is that you don’t need certification in WordPress to become great at it!
Training with a WordPress expert is a valuable investment to improve your WordPress skills or become a professional WordPress website developer.
With my style of WordPress training, you learn as you go and can ask questions along the way. You’ll leave training with the necessary skills to create, manage, and enhance a WordPress website–all on your own.
Learn about our unique method of WordPress Training:
One-on-One WordPress Training WordPress Training for your Team
Whether you’re hoping to manage your own WordPress website or develop and manage others’ sites, one-on-one WordPress training at Emily Journey is your quickest start. In training, you’ll work with a WordPress expert to:
- Learn basic or advanced WordPress skills (we customize training to you!)
- Develop a digital strategy
- Understand how to update and improve website content to increase conversion rates and performance
- Gain SEO knowledge to increase site traffic and customer retention
Want the answers to your unique questions about the WordPress platform? Contact us to learn more about our personalized training approach.
What to expect from WordPress courses with Emily Journey
When you book our WordPress training course, be prepared for an interactive, hands-on learning experience. Before the training, we will discuss your business goals and give you the resources you need to get the changes you want when you want them.
My training package includes:
- Access to resources for a stronger foundation and preparation
- Two intensive, one-on-one sessions lasting 4-hours each
- An additional 60 days of ongoing support after your classes
Live online WordPress training courses
Meet virtually with one of our WordPress training experts to walk through everything you need to know about managing and building your particular WordPress website. When you opt for a virtual course, you will receive recordings of your training sessions as part of your package.
One-on-one WordPress training course
If you’re someone who learns better with in-person instruction, then you’re probably looking for our one-on-one WordPress training course. Choose one of our locations or have us come to your place of business.
Along with one-on-one training, we offer in-person team WordPress training for business owners, IT departments, administrative staff, and marketing teams. We’ll teach your team how to run, manage, and update your company website.
Office: (844) 972-6224 Contact Us
Self-Paced WordPress Training Courses
We are staunch advocates of face-to-face learning, but we’re also realistic and realize not everyone has the time or resources to devote to a customized, instructor-led WordPress course.
If you are interested in online learning on your own, then I’ve created a list of online WordPress training course resources to help you get as far as you can on your own. Everyone has to start somewhere, and these online courses will give you what you need if you have the time to work independently.
From the beginner to the Jedi, there’s something for every level of WordPress student.
SolidWP by SolidAcademy (formerly iThemes)
The iThemes team not only produces great products — the level of care and education they offer their customers helps them stand out from the crowd.
— Chris Lema, ChrisLema.com
If you want a fulfilling class experience, check out SolidWP by SolidAcademy. They are committed to developing resources that help websites reach their full potential.
Learn a variety of technical skills from tutorials that will help you reach your goals, stay current on monthly WordPress news, and discuss the latest developments in WordPress. For those who are looking for an experience that resembles a real classroom, this is the place to start. The training section includes:
- Live “office hours” with a WordPress expert
- Hundreds of recorded classes
- Members-only content
You’ll learn the skills and tools you need, directly from WordPress development pros.
Udemy
Those who have ever searched for any type of online course have likely come across Udemy. It’s a smorgasbord of courses created by a variety of users. Udemy consists of thousands of WordPress online courses that can teach you everything you need to know about the platform.
Learn how to use WordPress at the beginner level or become an expert in no time. From step-by-step website creation guidance to WordPress plugin development courses, you will end up feeling confident about managing your website.
This is a fabulous course, and I would it give it six stars if such a rating were available! Everything is very clearly explained, and Andy promptly answers any question you might have. If you are interested in using and learning WordPress, you owe it to yourself to take this outstanding course.
— Robert Weiser, WordPress for Beginners – Master WordPress Quickly
You’ll find that all the courses range in quality and price. My suggestion? Sort by Most Reviewed when searching for a class — about WordPress or anything else.
WordPress.tv
On WordPress.tv you’ll have access to hundreds of free recordings of in-person classes.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to acquire knowledge from tons of instructors, this is worth checking out.
Plus, once you get the hang of it and start training others in WordPress, you can record your own classes and upload them to the site. Great concept!
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda)
LinkedIn Learning will give you access to thousands of video tutorials. A deep-dive into their content equips students with what they need to succeed. Check out presentations, highlights, and behind-the-scenes looks into WordPress development.
From setting up a domain and profile to installing plugins and creating custom themes, this course will show you everything you need to know to create a blog or website using WordPress.
— Shawn Hayes, Web Designer, on WordPress Essential Training
It’s a comprehensive resource with high-quality videos and a huge database of subjects. If spending more time learning is on your New Year’s Resolution list, LinkedIn Learning can help.
WP 101
Many people feel that community engagement is an important aspect of learning. If you study best with others, you might really like WP 101.
Stop spending hours trying to find tutorials on WordPress training. WP 101’s tutorial videos are professionally produced so you can learn how to create and manage your own website in just hours. From setting up plugins and WordPress themes to SEO, you can learn everything you need to get your site up and running successfully.
The difference at WP101 is that the entire team behind it is focused on education. They’re focused on making sure that you can learn. And to that end, the videos have a completely different feel… one that I think you’re going to appreciate.
— Chris Lema, Blogger, Speaker, Coach
Once you watch their screencasts, you can head over to the forum to get clarification on anything you don’t understand.
Learn WordPress (formerly WordPress Lessons)
This compilation isn’t a traditional set of courses. Rather, it’s a collection of straightforward tutorials from WordPress itself.
Start with WordPress for Beginners and work your way all the way up to Website Development.
— Joe Warnimont, Technical Writer
Every beginner needs to know about Learn WordPress. From learning how to add images and write a blog to writing code and applying custom fields to a post, you’ll have all the WordPress training resources you would want. It’s a standard for anyone running a site and needing skills to overcome specific issues.
Team Treehouse
Team Treehouse is one of the most popular ways for beginners to learn WordPress. You’ll learn at your own pace, and the library is overflowing with tutorials and videos. Coding challenges and quizzes keep you engaged throughout the WordPress courses.
I’ve devoured their content. Massive chunks of it. I’ve designed, built and launched over 50 unique websites for myself, founded a freelance company, mastered 6 separate CMSs, conquered HTML and CSS and…become comfortable with JavaScript, PHP and Ruby. I’ve learned by doing.
— Tyler Van Der Hoeven, Freelance Web Developer
As you can see, there’s much more to learn than just WordPress here. Commit to learning for 30 minutes a day for a hundred days to transform your life and enhance your knowledge. Team Treehouse offers WordPress training courses so you can create and run your own website independently. Once you’ve learned that platform, you can study building iPhone apps and coding with CSS!
You made it this far!
The value of learning WordPress is higher than ever. The WordPress courses above are a great place to start. Whether you have never used WordPress before or you want to advance your skills, these WordPress training courses allow you to learn what you need when it’s convenient for you.
So take heart. You can’t receive certification in WordPress, but you can still become a WordPress expert and acquire the knowledge and skills you need to become a website developer.
Whether you are looking to learn WordPress website development or you just want to improve your website maintenance skills, Emily Journey & Associates is here to help you gain confidence with this sometimes complicated platform.
