Benefits of Certification
Most professions boast an industry certification as a way for working professionals to demonstrate measured skill sets in specialty areas. In architecture, it’s the “Architect Registration Exam” (ARE); in retail electronics, it’s the “Mobile Electronics Certified Professional” (MECP); in accounting, it’s the “Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.” In Data Warehousing it’s Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) and the Certified Data Vault 2.0 Practitioner (CDVP2).
Why are Credentials Relevant?
Earned designations provide assurance of a member’s ability to perform a job or task, making them more valuable to, and coveted by, employers and the public.
In business intelligence we have: CBIP, DAMA Mastery Levels, Project Management (PMP), and Data Vault Certifications. The value of a CDVP2 (Certified Data Vault 2.0 Practitioner) is tremendous. Ranging from broad reaching job skills, to specific implementation best practices.
Validation of Knowledge
Organization affiliates recognize that evidence of continual learning is desirable and demonstrates the knowledge and skill set necessary to fulfilling professional responsibilities. Third-party validation of skills from a certification is far more powerful than self promotion of knowledge. When mid-level professionals seek third-party certifications they validate their knowledge, making employers and consumers more likely to recognize and reward professionals holding official certifications.
Having a Data Vault 2.0 Certification can increase your chances of promotion, as well as raises. For the employer, the certification shows that you care enough about their systems to build the right components at the right time.
Increased Marketability
Increasing one’s marketability is a primary driver and a powerful incentive to obtaining professional certification. Credentials provide amplified visibility of a professional’s skill set in the workplace, throughout professional communities, and within organizations. In any line of business, the desire to land the perfect job is a significant certification incentive. According to a survey by HR.com, 100% of respondents agreed that industry certifications are preferred during the hiring process of both new and internal employee placement scenarios.
A Data Vault certification increases your ability to tap into an ever-growing market place. It provides your employer with valid reasons for hiring you into an ever-changing BI landscape. With the CDVP2 certification you can plug in to Big Data and NoSQL environments with ease – adapting them for use at your job.
Reputation, Credibility, Confidence
Many of the stated benefits of getting certified are intertwined, but are best summarized as providing superior reputation, credibility and confidence. According to the American Society of Association Executives, 70 percent of its Certified Association Executive (CAE) program test takers report “enhancing knowledge,” “improving advancement opportunities” and “evaluating their status in their current position” as motivation for taking the exam.
Clients and partners quickly assume confidence in the competency and proficiency of professionals who are both participants in their trade organization and recipients of industry certifications.
Earning Respect
Bearing in mind these motivations, once an association decides to implement an optional certification program, there are some big-picture items that should be established from the get-go. These items will communicate to potential test-takers what they can expect from the testing process and inform them of the program’s potential value.
Certification exams are an excellent way for employers to maintain relevancy on a global level. If implemented properly, certifications give state and local organizations, as well as professionals and consumers, a new layer of competency in the constantly changing world of business.
