Does Professional Certification Matter?
Recently featured in DRIE DIGEST Volume 18, Issue 1 - February 2009.
Disclaimer: this article was written from a personal perspective and does not purport to represent all certification options available to IT and business professionals nor does it endorse any one certification body. These are personal discoveries and choices taken.
Perhaps you can relate this?
As a long time employee of one of Canada’s largest retail institutions, I held a wide variety of portfolios without ever thinking about or obtaining documented credentials. My CV grew with each new responsibility, but I had neglected to make my credentials “official”.
I ran a small data centre and yet did not hold a professional computer operations management designation. I was an application developer, yet I did not have a computer science degree. I ran a Development Centre and Project Office and yet I did not possess a professional Project Management designation. I led the strategy development and tactical implementation of Service Management (ITIL) processes with only an ITIL Foundations designation. I ran the Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery program and yet I was not a certified Business Continuity professional.
This did not mean that I was not qualified to carry out this work, I was and I still am. It simply meant that I should have taken the time to catalogue my credentials given the changing business climate. In my career, as in yours, credentials tended to come with the job. As long as you work for the same organization, it is understood that you are “certified” and have the training to conduct the work. Once you no longer work for the same company or become independent, aside from your CV, being certified is an excellent way to document your credentials and to differentiate yourself as a practicing and qualified professional in your chosen field.
So where did I begin?
First, I needed to brand myself and determine what professional services I wanted to offer prospective clients or employees. Based on my experience and interests, I decided that I am well positioned to provide Business Continuity consulting services to organizations without a program or for organizations that wanted to keep their program relevant.
Next, I enlisted the assistance of professional groups in order to understand how to proceed. I joined CIPS (Canadian Information Processing Society), DRIE (Data Recovery Information Exchange) and DRI (Disaster Recovery Institute). In the case of DRIE and CIPS, I also volunteered at board and committee levels.
And finally, I used my newly formed CIPS and DRIE alliances to help me determine which certification credentials would best help to support my career goals.
Within CIPS, I applied for and obtained my I.S.P. (Information Services Professional) designation, attesting to my broad IT experience. This experience based certification provided me with what is equivalent to a computer science degree. Within DRIE, I learned about DRI (Disaster Recovery Institute) and the BCP (Business Continuity Professional) programs. I then took the DRI based BCP course and passed the test for my ABCP designation. Once I obtain my CBCP, I will be a fully certified BCP professional.
While in hindsight it would have been much wiser to acquire and maintain my certification while working for my previous company, I did not even hesitate to obtain my rightful credentials at this point. It was well worth the effort as I am now fully armed to launch an exciting new stage in my career. And remember, the goal of certification is not to see how many initials can be stacked behind your name on a business card or on your email signature. You need to make sure that you are aware of the options available and to choose those that you feel are right for you and will set you apart from others. Be selective as it takes significant effort to complete the courses and/or documentation required to obtain each certification. And be aware that there is a cost and ongoing effort to maintain each certification. Prior to all of this I did an analysis of many of the available memberships and certification relevant to my own career goals and created the chart listed below (exhibit A). This chart lists:
- Pre-eminent organizations and their links.
- Membership options.
- Certification levels, covering entry, practitioner and advanced.
There are a few sources outlining additional professional certifications including: http://www.bcmanagement.com/research/files/Professional_Certifications.doc This has been a year of transition for me and obtaining certifications that attest to my credentials was a goal I had set and achieved. I would be happy to discuss my journey with any of you who are at the beginning and are wrestling with the choices available.
About the Author Brian Murray is a Business Continuity Practitioner with extensive, broad based IT and retail experience. He has a proven track record in strategic planning and thought leadership with a pragmatic planning approach, specializing in IT Service Management; and Business Continuity (Disaster Recovery and Crisis Management). Brian is on the board of CIP Toronto and CIPS Ontario where he leads a BCM SIG and CIO Forum. Brian is also on the DRIE communications committee. He is now the proud holder of three certifications of value to him. Brian Murray, I.S.P., ABCP, ITIL foundations
