There is a difference between earning a certificate and earning a certification.
A certificate usually results from an educational process.
A Certification is a process that results in credentials.
A certification has the following attributes:
- Results from an education and assessment process
- Typically requires some amount of professional experience and is awarded by a 3rd party, standard-setting organization
- Indicates mastery/competency as measured against a defensible set of standards, usually by application or exam
- Has standards set through a defensible, industry-wide process, job analysis/role delineation, that results in an outline of required knowledge and skills
- Typically results in a designation to use after one’s name (Wainwright Global provides the education and Strategic Learning Alliance awards the C.P.C. credential)
- May result in a document to hang on a wall or keep in a wallet.
- Has on-going continuing education requirements in order to maintain the credential; credential holder must demonstrate he/she continues to meet requirements
The designation you earn after earning your credential through Wainwright Global’s education and Strategic Learning Alliance’s 3rd Party Accreditation is CPC® which stands for Certified Professional Coach. Your credential is used after your name. For example: Jessica Monroe, CPC®.
At Wainwright Global, after your education and exam, we provide you with a Certificate of Professional Coaching. Our 3rd party accrediting body,Strategic Learning Alliance, awards your Certified Professional Coach certification and your credential: CPC®.
The value in getting certified lies in your use of the certification! If you keep your certification a secret, no one will know and it will not serve you. Many people have earned their coaching credential and then have not exercised their right to put it behind their name!
If you plan to work as a professional/life coach and would like to have liability insurance, you will need to earn your certification.
If you would like to be hired by a company to perform coaching duties, you may be required to have liability insurance and your certification.
Having your certification shows that you are a professional and that you have been trained in the skills, tools, and methodologies that are required in this profession. From a consumer’s perspective, knowing that you have been through some formal training for your services provides a level of confidence for you as a professional.
And, finally, with a credential, you will qualify for 30% more income as an employee according to Payscale magazine (2013).
Does certification have value? Only you can decide what is right for you.
