What are professional Certifications?

Professional Certification or certification is an assurance for the prospective employers regarding the qualification required to perform a particular job. Certification can be acquired after attending the relevant training and successfully clearing the examination. There are certain agencies that give you an opportunity to appear for the certification examination directly and they do not provide any training. Professional certifications are issued by professional bodies, like the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Company Secretary, Project Management Institute, Microsoft, Google, etc.

The number of agencies offering professional certifications has increased multifold. The certifications are now being offered by numerous agencies and in almost all professional fields IT, Accountancy, Management, Digital Marketing, Networking, Leadership, and project management. The need for skilled professionals in industries is increasing and the industry is facing a skill shortage. Certification programs enable to fill this gap quickly. There are numerous agencies offering online certification programs and several online portals have mushroomed post-Covid. There are several self-proclaimed gurus who are offering certification programs, even though the training and the certification provided is not worth the cost of the paper on which the certificate is printed. This is actually true for any growing market where the fly-by-night operators also mushroom and the customers are cheated. A word of caution you must be careful in selecting the agency from which you wish to acquire the Certification. I shall share with you the tips for selecting the right agency for your certification program in another post. The focus is the understanding the certification programs and their importance in your career

Growing trend of professional certifications

Importance of certifications

1. Certifications can give you an edge in the job market.
   
   Certification is important for professionals because it shows that they are knowledgeable and experienced in their field. Certification also shows employers that a professional is committed to their field and is willing to learn more about it. Certification can also help a professional to stay ahead of the curve in their field. For example, if you wish to hire an accountant you will prefer to hire a Chartered Accountant who is certified or a networking engineer who has some certification related to networking weather it is CCNA, or Red Hat Liniux certification or MCNA depending on the platform you wish to build your network.
   
2. Certifications can validate your skills and knowledge.
   
   Certifications are an easy way to certify your skills and knowledge about the profession you are planning to build your career. Certificates bring a sense of confidence in the prospective employer about your skills. That confidence has to be backed by your knowledge of the subject. Certifications will help you open more doors for yourself. You need not show your skills to everyone. Certifications demonstrate that the professional has met the required standards and has been properly trained.
   
3. Certifications can help you build a resume that highlights your skills and experience.
   
   Certifications are like crowning jewels in your resume. They are a way to tell your prospective employer that you have been properly evaluated by a third party and that your skills have been found to be of high quality. Therefore it is important that you choose your certification agency carefully. The job market is very competitive and certifications provide a competitive advantage. Your certification is proof of not only your skill and knowledge but also of your commitment and hard work towards your profession.
   
4. Certifications can help you gain credibility in the eyes of employers.
   
   Certification is a way to protect the professional from being unqualified for a job. They not only validate your skill and knowledge but also make you a suitable candidate for the job. Certification is a sure way of proving your tenacity and suitability for the job. The employer can offer you the job with more certainty. The certification establishes credibility for the employers to hire a candidate with professional certifications. He is confident that the person with certification has attained the required skill set and is well-versed with any new developments related to the profession. Many professional certification bodies require you to appear for refresher courses and certificate upgradations and revalidation to ensure that you remain attuned to the recent trends in the industry, law and technology. Nobody would doubt the capabilities of an AWS Certified DevOps Engineer or Microsoft Azure Certified Solutions Architect!
   
5. Certifications can help you land a job that matches your skills and career goals.
   
   Certifications can open doors for both the experienced as well as professionals with no experience. As shared earlier the certifications are like jewels in the crown, they act as eye-catchers and grab the attention of the prospective recruiter (generally a non-technical guy from the HR team, scanning through the resumes). Certifications will be the right hook for the recruiter to shortlist your resume. For the experienced professionals, certification will help you to prove not only your commitment and expertise but also prove that you have invested time and effort to upgrade your skill set. They will also help you to stake your claim for the promotion and a better salary hike.
   
   Besides the above-mentioned top 5 benefits of certifications, I personally feel that the certifications are a good way to improve your skills and access the community of professionals and build your own network of like-minded individuals. The individuals can be aspiring to attain the certifications and the individuals who have attained the certifications. This peer group will be your source of inspiration and conduit for your success in your professional life.