professional certifications
Earned industry credentials
Professional certifications are credentials awarded by industry organizations or governing bodies to verify competence in a specific field.
Unlike academic degrees, they typically require passing an exam and meeting experience requirements: She earned her PMP certification after five years in project management.
Many professions—nursing, accounting, IT, financial planning—use certifications to establish standards and signal expertise to employers.
Some require periodic renewal through continuing education.
- credentialsEvidence of qualification or identity
- licenseFormal grant of permission
- examFormal knowledge assessment
- test prepStudying for major exams
- study guideExam preparation resource
training · accreditation · qualified · badge · renewal · continuing education · CPA · diploma · industry · industry standard · competence · testing center · recertification · resume · career · career advancement · coursework · verification
professional certificationsacademic degrees
Formal university certifications
bachelor's degrees · master's degrees · PhDs · college education · liberal arts education
professional certificationsword of mouth
Information passed through conversation
professional certificationson-the-job training
Learning skills while employed
self-teaching · learning by doing · trial and error · life experience · tacit knowledge
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