I won! I won! Yay!
Thank you to Maria Schneider, her blog community, and you guys for naming this blog one of the Top 25! Head over to the Editor Unleashed blog and see the other cool choices. Many are new to me. One in particular is a favorite – The Urban Muse. Congratulations to Susan, too!
At our writer’s group meeting last night, one of the writers mentioned her recent certification in an area in which she works. She wasn’t required to certify, but she said in this market, she’s not turning down any chance to look better to the next employer.
So that begs the question – what do we, freelance community members, get from certification? Should we certify? In what? And how much does cost factor into the certification? My thoughts:
Certify when it makes sense. If you specialize, certify. I say this and here I sit with one certification to my name in only one of a few areas of concentration. But it’s on my short list of things I need to advance the career. If you’re writing in a financial industry, why not be certified and trained? It gives you a notch or five more credibility when the clients come looking.
Certify if you can get mileage out of it. Here’s my thought: If you can get one certification that applies to a number of areas, why not? I’m thinking of a risk management certification. That applies nearly across the board into finance, insurance, environmental, you name it, for all industries rely on risk management to identify and cover their loss exposures. So if you can get certification in fiction writing and you’re interested in writing for children too, go for it.
Certify if you’re willing to amend your resume. Not all clients care that you have a certification in employee benefits. If you’re writing a story about fashion, best to leave that off your resume. Relevance will dictate who sees what in your background. The concern I’d have is being viewed as someone who jumps around too much. Frankly, we all know the nature of this business and we all have more than one interest area, but some clients can be fussy about it.
Certify if you want to build a network. What better way to meet like-minded clients than to attend certification classes, network events, and trade shows? Certification shows your interest in their business. From my experience, they love being around writers who know their industry and are just as interested in it.
Certify if you want to. Not everyone thinks it’s a good idea to have extra training for one facet of the career. And unless you specialize solely in one area, you may use that certification sparingly. It’s up to you.
What certifications do you think you need? Do you think it’s important to have that additional credibility?
Congratulations! The recognition is well deserved.
Um, I'm getting re-certified in my CPR/First Aid training from the Red Cross. Does that count? 😉
I'm thrilled that you were named one of the Best 25 — you know I think you're the best, period!
Congrats to you, too, Lori!
I'm starting a certificate in professional communication (emphasis on writing) in a couple of weeks. I know that sounds broad and it is, but a lot of the classes sound really interesting (social media writing, newsletter writing, audience analysis).
I don't feel the need to spend the time and money on a master's degree, but everyone has a Bachelor's degree these days, so I wanted to have something beyond an undergraduate degree. It's hard to say if I'll benefit most from interacting with the students and professors, doing the coursework, or being able to claim a certificate after the fact, but I think it will be worthwhile to brush up on my skills, since freelancers so seldomly have someone critiquing their work (aside from clients who aren't sure what they want!).
Congrats, Lori! Hear, hear!
Street cred WHOOT!! congrats to you, Lori. this is a well deserved recognition.
A) Huge congrats on the EU shout-out Lori! But was there really any question of the win? Not from here kiddo.
B) I'm a staunch advocate of continuing education in any form as long as you can afford it. If we don't stretch our minds to our craft, it will atrophy and become inbred with ideas. That said, always be aware that…
C) Cash Is King. You have to weigh the cost of certification to the business it generates.
Sometimes freelance can be an somewhat isolated practice. I would therefor encourage writers to include Networking into the benefits derived category.
Let me qualify that – Real Networking. Saying "Hi my name is" really amounts to nothing more than a pretty good Eminem track. Real Networking involves stepping out, being bold, asking questions, offering help, connecting at the personal level, and finding a way to give before asking to receive.
Seems simple right? It's not, but some people do it naturally. The good news is everyone can learn how to network.
Step out & try to connect with others during your certification. Those connections will soon turn into your primary source for work if you do it right. Not to mention the close friendships soon to follow.
As always IMHO,
Sid.
Hooray!!!!!!!
Thanks, everyone. 🙂 I couldn't have done it without you – seriously.
Susan, I think that's a great idea! In fact, perhaps these certifications, which are more general, are just what we need to impress upon the clients our dedication to our careers. I'm going to look into that. Thanks for the idea!
Sid, from what I've experienced, fewer people know how to network than you'd believe. It's unbelievably easy – talk to, and listen to, the person in front of you. Connect like you would with a friend. Yet how many "networkers" walk into a room, assess the room, and then "sell" to the first person they see. No listening – only, "Hi, my name is… and I can balance your books/set up your servers/offer you consulting services." GET TO KNOW PEOPLE. Sheesh, huh? 🙂
Thank you, Kimberly, Gabriella, and Amie. I appreciate your camraderie. :))
You too, Kathy. You're a kindred spirit I'm going to meet someday, I swear.
And Devon, much love. Your CPR training is always welcome here. :)) Actually, it sounds like a few articles….