Why Get a Certification if You Already Know Your Job?

You’ve already got your job. You may have even had it for several years, and by now you well and truly know the ropes.

There are plenty of arguments for both sides. For the most part, certifications (or at least the act of getting them) usually add value.

The Positives of Getting a Certification

You've got the job. You've got the skills required to get by. Why get the certification?

1. Show Your Value

This is a big one. If you can point to a signed, dated piece of paper that clearly states your skills are up to date, you might stand a better chance of securing that next promotion or heading up that major project that everyone wants their hands on.

By getting certified, you show that you're a valuable member of the team. You increase the organisation's overall educational value, and you also indicate that you're willing to learn new things.

Furthermore, you can push the organisation to take things to the next level. Often, higher-level managers will be reluctant to take on new clients, major projects or new technologies simply because they lack faith in their existing team to handle it. If you can prove you're ready and knowledgeable, they'll be more willing to move ahead – and possibly give you the responsibility for doing so.

2. Market Yourself

Even if you've got the world's greatest job and everything is moving along swimmingly, it's important to stay on top of your game. Right now, you might not think you need to be marketable, but that's exactly when you need to stay on top of your game.

It's a job market – which means the rules of the market apply. If you can make yourself out to be a rare or unique commodity, you'll command a higher price. The more certifications you can get under your belt, the more qualified and experienced you'll appear to potential "buyers".

When the time comes and your company falls victim to economic woes, you want to make sure you are dead last on the list of downsizing victims. Having the option to find somewhere to jump ship and a strong chance of being successful at it means you won't find yourself broke and unemployed.

3. Stay Sharp

How long ago did you get your degree? For some of us, it was literally decades ago. If you haven’t refreshed your skills between then and now, you might be missing out on something that the up-and-coming whippersnappers have.

Certifications are a relatively inexpensive method of illustrating that your expertise is concurrent with the contemporary business environment. Any relevant certification from within the last five years not only shows that you're staying sharp but it can also actually help you in your day-to-day work.

If you've worked your way up through the ranks by virtue of time and experience alone, eventually you're going to hit a wall. You need something to help you stand out, and that's where certifications come in.

4. Develop Yourself

Self-development is critical to a healthy, happy life. At one point or another, we've all been stuck in a rut. The easiest way to avoid this is to keep moving forward, and improving your qualifications through obtaining a certification is one of the easiest ways to do so.

At some point in your future, you might decide you've had enough working for someone else and look to start your own business. At that point, you're going to need all the skills and self-development you can get your hands on in order to survive.

Certifications aren't always just a piece of paper. Often, you can genuinely add to your skill set and your understanding of your career by undergoing certain courses, particularly management courses.

The Negatives of Getting a Certification

Of course, there can be some negatives to obtaining a certification. It's not always the right choice for everyone, and you need to decide if it's right for you.

Sometimes, the time and effort required to gain a certification can affect your job performance. If you're not the kind of person who can juggle a few things at once, you should think very carefully about whether you should take on the extra workload required to get qualified.

Not all education providers are made equal. Some will provide you with the certification but not the quality education behind it. It's important for you to research your provider and the course content in advance and settle on an institution that knows what they're doing.

Make sure you're getting certified in something that you actually need. There is little point in getting niche certifications in defunct technologies or areas of expertise if you have little passion for it and no real need for it in your day-to-day work.

The Upshot

Getting those extra certifications has a range of benefits, including:

• Illustrating modern skills.

• Shows initiative – particularly if the certification wasn't absolutely required.

• Helps you stand out from competitors.

• Sends a signal to management that you know what you're doing and have the skills to move up.

• Keeps you valuable in case you lose your job, or an outside force affects your business, such as a merger.

• Improves the ability of your organisation to adopt new technologies and strategies.

• Gives you a bit of personal satisfaction – personal development is important!

On balance, there are huge benefits to getting certified. If you want to take that step forward in life and get further ahead than you ever thought possible, new qualifications are absolutely the way to go about it.

Get in touch with us today. We'll discuss your career aspirations and work out a plan for advancement. We'll get you where you want to be in no time. Call Foundation Education today on 1300 616 197.