Good question! In some circumstances, a professional certification can make all the difference between landing a job or not being considered for it at all. In others, it’s not really useful and most hiring managers will look for experience or skill over a set of letters after your name. If you can’t tell, it’s not cut and dried, and the answer is a little complicated. Let’s cut through the fog and help you understand when certs are really valuable and when they’re just nice to have.
Some professional certifications require that you study hard and pass a test, others require that you have years of experience in a specific field before you can even apply to be considered. Before you decide that maybe getting a certification is your ticket to a career jump or a promotion, you need to determine whether or not the types of certifications that will get you ahead in your field are the ones that require skills, experience, or just a few classes.