Professional Certification

Many question whether a professional certification has any value in the workplace. The quick answer is the one a consultant would provide; “It Depends”. The answer to this question primarily depends on three elements; 1) who issued the certificate, 2) the background of the certificate holder, and 3) the view or perception of certificate value by companies and their management. Let’s explore what I mean by that.

The image or perception of the certificate issuer is extremely important. The issuer must be widely recognized, credible, trustworthy, and have integrity. Some of the certifying organizations have been around for many years providing services and value to their members and respective industries. First, they provide services and value to their members by a) providing a scope of responsibility for the profession through research, b) drafting articles, magazine, newsletters, research analysis and documentation to expand knowledge, c) assessing member knowledge through exams, d) providing continued training for up to date knowledge, e) helping members network and share information related to the profession and employment, and f) connecting members to companies. Second, certification organizations provide service and value to companies by a) ensuring trained and skilled employees through formal examination and enforcement of completed and required training, and b) connecting companies to certified members. The length of their existence, the industries the serve, their research scope, staff size, financial position, and the number members they serve and name recognition all contribute to their perceived professional image.

To further define the value of professional certification, the background of the certificate holder must also be considered as part of the larger package such as education, experience, personality, appearance, passion or enthusiasm, creativity, and hopefully proven credibility and track record. A professional certificate by itself has no meaning or value other than provide the value a piece of paper would provide. As I said, the value of a certificate is determined by a combination of factors. For example, my Certified Internal Auditor designation means that I have passed a rigorous certification test, my required education and experience has been verified by the certification organization, and I continue to take the required training. Although some certifications may provide a grandfathering period to become a certified professional without taking a certification exam, this would be factored into the value equation because the organization has not been in business for too long. That being said, the value of a certificate further increases when considering the background of the certificate holder.

And lastly, in order to assess the true value of professional certification, the view or perception of a hiring company and its management must also be considered. A certificate like every thing else in life has no value except the value we give to it, therefore, the degree by which a hiring company and its management value professional designations is important when evaluating a certificate’s true and overall value. If management strongly considers a certificate or even requires one from job applicants, then the certificate’s overall value increases accordingly. In my career, I have come across people, who value professional certifications highly, and others who have no respect for them. Interestingly, those who don’t respect certifications also lack certificate designations themselves.

It is commonly said that a certificate increases the overall value of an employee and those holding a professional certificate earn higher than their counterparts without a professional certification. From my own experience, I can say it’s somewhat true that certified professionals can demand higher salaries and find jobs much more quickly, especially in tough economic times when job search is much more competitive. If I had to make a recommendation, I would go with the principles that a person has nothing to lose but every thing to gain with a professional certificate. All it takes to obtain this employment competitive advantage is a few dollars and a bit of time for the study and exam, assuming the candidate has the required education and experience to fulfill the other certification requirements. Sometimes, it may cost as much as hundreds of dollars to take an exam and become certified, but it’s pennies a day considering how many years a person can and must stay employed. Even if some companies do not reimburse the cost of some of the certification such as study guide, training and exam, I would still recommend aiming for the desired certificate with borrowed money since you have nothing to lose but a few dollars in a worst-case scenario. The time you spend to study for the exam is only added knowledge and can’t be considered wasted.

See a list of my professional designations in my professional certification and career page.