What profession are you in? Do you have any industry certifications? If so, why? If not, why not?
Industry certifications can be part of your professional training. Certifications will have a curriculum, followed by some way to show what you learned. You might need to take a test or put together a portfolio of a “practice” business case. Certifications often require ongoing professional training to keep them valid, and to stay current on important issues in your industry.
Here are four reasons why industry certifications are important:
1. They give you a full picture of the variety of jobs in a specific profession or industry.
Along with many other writers and coaches, I am in the “career support services.” My four industry certifications include one for resume writing and three others for different types of coaching. Each requires different types of expertise. Professionally, I write my name like this:
Irene Marshall, MBA, CPRW, CEIP, CPCC, OJSRM.
That big sequence of letters makes sense to other coaches and writers, but it’s a crazy “alphabet” for people outside of the industry. Here’s what it all means:
CPRW: Certified Professional Resume Writer
CEIP: Certified Employment Interview Professional
CPCC: Certified Professional Career Coach
OJSRM: Certified Professional – Online Job Search and Reputation Management
2. They give you credibility and position you well within your industry.
Over the years, I’ve had clients with multiple letters behind their name. This helps them stand out compared to their professional peers. Imagine that one of them is an MBA with several certifications. Her name could be written like this:
Jane Doe, MBA, CPA, CIA, CITP
CPA: Certified Public Accountant
CIA: Certified Internal Auditor
CITP: Certified Information Technology Professional
3. Certifications cost less and take less time compared to more formal education.
I considered getting a Masters in Counseling after I stopped being a recruiter. It seemed like it could be a smart step towards opening my business as a resume writer and coach. I decided against it. I already had an MBA graduate degree and didn’t want to make the investment of time or money in getting another. Certifications would give me the knowledge and qualifications that I needed much quicker and at a drastically lower cost.
4. You will learn new information that is important to your work!
It’s not just about the letters behind your name, but about what makes you a well-informed professional in your industry.
If you want help in researching different certifications, I’d be delighted to help! As a job search coach, I’ve assisted many people in getting the qualifications they need so they can move to the next stage of their careers. If you’d like a free consultation, you can schedule a call right here.
I look forward to working with you!