Creating a Certification for Your Product

MCSA.  MCSD.  CCNA.  CFA.  FRM.  CAIA.  PMP.  The list goes on for certifications that companies and organizations offer to individuals in the hopes of helping professionals further their careers.

Of course, in return, companies further their mission and messaging through the use of such certifications.

As technologies and processes become increasingly more complex – and as users find themselves without formal training from their employer – many companies, especially those in enterprise software or professional services, have been creating certification programs for their products.  The idea of having an army of users certified in a particular program carries innumerable benefits, though the marketplace is crowded with offerings.

Benefits to the User

For several years, there has been much fiery debate about the ‘skills gap’ in the U.S. workforce.  Essentially, good people can’t find jobs, while companies complain that they cannot find the right people to fill positions.

As jobs become more skills-based and task-oriented, traditional education offerings run counter to the needs of corporations, especially those in technology and financial services. 

Many mid- and even senior-level professionals have begun to rebuild their skillsets and educational profiles by taking courses leading to specific industry certifications.  A rundown of benefits include:

• Recognition of a professional credential, demonstrating aptitude and ability
• Opportunity to join local networking organizations and usergroups affiliated with the credentialing organization, as well as affiliated online communities
• The acronym is often a search-term in applicant tracking systems used by hiring managers
• Personal satisfaction of having completed a rigorous professional program and earned a designation, boosting confidence and self-esteem

…and for the Organization

Organizations realize innumerable benefits of creating and launching a certification program.  The first, of course, is revenue:  if a company sells a highly-sought-after technology or product, and knows that professionals seeking to become more knowledgeable and marketable would willingly pay to get certified, then a certification program is born.

Microsoft figured this out as early as the mid-1980s, as its software was already being distributed to corporations and governments worldwide.  Information technology professionals quickly saw the value of holding a Microsoft designation, as it opened doors to jobs and projects that would have otherwise been impossible to get.

Certifying organizations can create profitable education ecosystems whereby

• Professionals pay the company to sit for the exam
• Professionals pay the company directly for study materials or courses
• The company publishes study books and sell them through retailers
• The company license training schools and programs to teach preparation courses for professionals

These are just a handful of the benefits of creating a certification program.  Indeed, it includes the idea of building an educational brand.

Measuring Success

Organizations offering the credential have several measures of success, from tracking the number of individuals who demonstrate interest in a credentialing program, to the fee income from test registrations, to the satisfaction rates of professionals who have completed the program.

Some organizations’ professional designation had become so sought-after and recognizable, that they rebrand themselves to be more closely aligned with the credential.  In 2004, the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR) rebranded itself as the CFA Institute, in part to demonstrate awareness and leadership of its flagship Chartered Financial Analyst professional certification.

Final Thought:   Companies wishing to spread their influence can do well by developing and launching certification programs and selling them to professionals seeking to acquire a new credential.  In return, professionals can exploit these designations to their advantage by using them as sharp networking tools.

There seem to be a plethora of options for certifications, and both sides need to demonstrate the value.

 

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ChangeU: independent study…

Oracle Certification: http://goo.gl/x72Bbo The portal for one of the largest providers of IT training and certification.  Oracle has acquired dozens of technology companies and has maintained the majority of these certifications in its portfolio.

Product Certification: http://goo.gl/3Ujhl9 A guest post in Tech Cocktail discusses how certifications can leverage third party professionals to get tasks done.

Consumer Product Saftely Commission: http://goo.gl/udLVxR Though not a certifying organization for professionals, this is an interesting look at what manufacturers must know in order to get their products certified.

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References

3 Content Marketing Trends That Will Rule 2018

2015 TechTarget Media Consumption Report: Guided by content – How IT buying teams navigate through the research and purchasing process