Certification. Worth the trouble?

11/13/2019

Novice

Surely everyone of us was looking for a job at some point. Let's put on shoes for a moment, of the unemployed, actively seeking employment. Find our offer, which even in a dream way will meet our expectations, and also fit into the qualification requirements of the employer. Certainly, in such situations, on the basis of the head, the thought: "There is definitely a candidate for the position" ... and probably so, in addition, it is taken into account those who use the "starting package", i.e. the required qualifications. Subsequent thoughts naturally appear: "How to stand out? How to raise your chances? ". For example, if you know the foreign language well (as probably other candidates), it's worth the trouble to certify your skills. Employers, welcome qualifications of employees. Definitely more than just declarations. Let's focus on this database, they include foreign languages ​​to the forefront in the offers of the most often extended qualifications. The British Council exams are recognized on the main scale. Having a certificate from this data organization that the owner with the whole group contains the full range of knowledge required at a given level. Applied exams, in a comprehensive way, measure knowledge of issues, and thus check solutions at 5 levels: writing, reading, speaking, understanding and grammar. They introduce a standard of professional knowledge at a given language level. Let's try to take a closer look at the subject of certification.

Proffesinal

Professional Managers, HR managers, trainers, negotiators - people who can be said to have eaten teeth in the training industry also value certification, especially the prestigious one. Gaining the next "stars" of development, allows you to very clearly determine when a person is located. The trainings usually have certain levels completed with a certificate, so you can clearly get them. CIPT - Certified International Professional Trainer is the first level of training path, and the level of CIPTM - Certified International Professional Training Manager is a more advanced example. Additionally, these trainings may have internationally recognized accreditation of organizations such as the American ACI - American Certification Institute or British Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development certifications. For example, a manager's salary with the required CIPTM certificate at SERCO in London is as much as 78,000,000 pounds a year. A game worth the trouble, right?

What certificates?

Before we decide to certify our skills, it is worth answering the following questions:

  • Is the course adequate to the position?
  • Do employers care about employees who have certificates of their skills?

We should also pay attention to whether the certification body issues certificates that are recognized and recognized in the given industry. There is no point in doing a certificate for mere possession. Some of them are very time consuming and at the same time very expensive. For example, obtaining a psychotherapist's certificate costs about PLN 30,000 and the process itself takes 2 years. If we decide on certification, make sure that they are of the highest quality and that our contribution of time and money proves to be a good investment.

International Certificates

If you plan to work abroad, make sure that the certificates have the appropriate international accreditation. So what if we get a certificate of qualifications that will not be honored at all, in the place of your dream job in another country. Let us make sure that the direction of our development is simply the right direction.

Let's make a small summary of a good certificate:

  • Is welcomed by potential employers (e.g. its importance is emphasized in the trade press), is international (it is also recognized outside of Poland),
  • confirms specific competences (expressed in the certification program or in the certificate itself),
  • is issued by an institution that has the mark of global market - a recognizable brand,
  • gives the holder a place on the list of persons holding this certificate.

And how do you recognize a bad certificate?

Certificates of completing a two-hour training - let's be honest, this is not a certificate, only information that you have managed to lick some knowledge. Certificates issued by unknown companies are also not the best idea. Most likely, they will not be honored or taken into account at all by the potential employer. Certificates that do not have information about the duration of the course, confirmed competences or the date of obtaining the certificate, do not look too professional and probably are not.