When you go to college or a trade school, you are working to prove that you possess an adequate or beyond adequate amount of knowledge to perform a task, advise on a subject or occupy a specific role in the work force. A professional certification serves essentially the same purpose—to show that you are qualified for a certain job or duty. UWA Online’s Continuing Education e-Learning program offers the opportunity for participants to earn certifications in a number of specialized topics. Let’s look a little closer at some of the benefits of earning a certification and how it can lead you toward achieving your career goals.

• It makes you more competitive. Part of making yourself more marketable has to do with poising yourself to stand out among the competition. If you are vying for a job opportunity and you have a relevant certification that other applicants do not have, then you automatically have a leg up on the competition.

 

• It can earn you more money. Ding ding ding! Earning a certification in some instances can instantly bump you into a higher salary bracket. Though the courses required to earn the certification likely cost money, the investment is worth it for the payoff you will probably receive in the long run.

 

• It connects you with your industry peers. Once you have a certification, you are more likely to cross paths with others in your field who have the same or similar ones. This may happen at conferences, via social media groups or even by meeting them through the certification courses you take.

 

• It equips you with the knowledge you need to advance. Perhaps the most obvious of the benefits of earning a certification is the fact that you are actually learning and acquiring more specialized, specific knowledge. This is the information you will house and exhibit competency with to make those next steps in your career.

 

• It qualifies you to mentor or oversee others. Earning a certification can empower you to be someone from whom others learn. If you have never served in an advisory capacity or a position in which you manage others, then a certification could be the key to landing you that role.

 

• It can help you change career paths. Looking to make a change in your career? Completing courses to earn a certification can help you do that. Rather than going back to school for four years, certification courses are shorter-lived, meaning you can jump to your new area of interest more quickly.

 

• It proves your desire to continue learning. Earning a certification is part of continuing education. Potential employers who see that you took the initiative to work for a certification on your own accord will be impressed by your thirst for knowledge and desire to make yourself better.

Beyond these benefits of earning a certification, keep in mind that the process can be simple, flexible and fun! With UWA Online Continuing Education e-Learning, all of our certification courses are available online so that you are able to work at your own pace and from the comfort of your own computer. To browse our certification selections, visit us at www.uwa.edu/ce!