Professional Certifications, Associations, and Conferences
Certifications
A certification is a credential that recognizes that you have professional skills and education matching standardized criteria, usually awarded after the completion of a course and exam. There are several types of certifications, and some may be required for career advancement or to obtain employment.
Certifications usually require moderate to significant time and financial investment, and continuing education to maintain the credential. If you’re interested in pursuing a certification, we encourage you to consider the value and investment needed (job requirements, industry standards, knowledge gained, time and financial investment required, maintenance requirements, etc). This Indeed article may be a good starting point for considering the benefits and value of certifications. It’s great to talk to people who hold the certification before pursuing yourself to get an idea of the investment requiremd and how their certification has benefitted them!
Professional Associations
Professional associations and organizations are groups of people from the same industry or profession that gather together over shared interest and represent the profession. Some professional associations are member based and require regular dues. Other associations or organization hosted events may be free and open to the public.
Member based organizations may provide members with exclusive benefits, such as additional access to training and member events, industry events, or conference and event discounts. Joining a professional association can provide great networking opportunities with people within the same field.
Your site supervisor and other professionals in your organization and field of work may have recommendations on professional associations or other local organizations that you can be connected with.
Example Professional Associations and Organizations:
Conferences
Conferences provide great opportunities for professional development. Conferences can help advance your sector knowledge and connect you to new skills. They are also great for networking to meet leaders and industry experts in your field and strengthening your professional network.
At this time, CivicSpark cannot offer reimbursement for travel and registration for attending conferences. Many organizations may offer discounts, scholarships, student rates, or other financial aid for Fellows, so we encourage you to ask. Your host site may also be able to offer support.
When researching conferences to attend, consider your goals for attending, financial and time commitments, location, speakers, and topics covered. Below is a list of some suggested annual or bi-annual conferences. Your host site may have additional resources on local conference opportunities.