I’m confident I may have to hand in my “man card” after this post, or perhaps it’s scary to admit I’m nearly 40 and I’m referencing Miley Cyrus songs on the internet. But for your own good I’ll do it. Certification is not about the certificate. (No, that’s not her song, at least I hope that’s not one.)

The image on the left of this blog posting is my own Certification. It’s the first time (I believe) anyone that knows me has seen it.  But I’m seriously proud I have it, but that’s not what I’m proud of.  To reference Miley: It’s “The Climb”.

Autodesk Certification will measure your program skills against others in the industry.  If you fail the test then you’ll be told of areas where your professional skills don’t match up with others in your own field.  This can lead you in directions where you will begin to explore new commands, read books, network with others in the office or with trainers/individuals that know more about the software than you do. This learning will enhance your skills and also revitalize your ability to learn (yes, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks… I’ve seen it often.).  You may even find that you will to want to stay on top of your field and compete with the person next to you.  Your career will be enhanced in little doses, with each new thing you learn. You may even be inspired to learn more and begin to realize other areas where you can improve.

We should step back and take a moment to remember, a certificate is just a picture you put in the frame to prove you made it to your personal summit (college degrees are perfect examples of this, a piece of paper in a frame indicating you reach a destination in your learning process).   Even if you pass the test the first time you try it, you’ll be able to look back and realize just how much time and energy it took to get to this level…and perhaps it will inspire you to continue to learn to keep that level of proficiency instead of letting your skills drop off.

I’m proud of my climb. Employers will be proud of yours too and it’s not the certificate they appreciate, it’s the effort you placed toward improving yourself that is admirable and the certifcate is the proof that you achieved it.

In short: The certificate is just the end result, it documents the path you walked to enhance your professional growth.  Passing the test is the proof you have made the strides along that path to reach that destination.  By itself it means little, it’s the “Climb” to attain these goals that ultimately brings the recognition, recognition from your peers and a feeling of pride from the self achievement.

I’m Brian Myers, almost 40, I reference Miley Cyrus songs…. and my co-workers are going to give me a hard time for the rest of the week for admitting that. ;-)