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Professional Certification for Freelancers and Home-Based
Businesses
Author: Sean Dunagan
When we think of technical certification, most of us think of
the seemingly endless jumble of letters that follow the names of
information technology experts—MCSE, MCSA, A+, CCNA, etc. These
certifications serve as standardized, objective validations that
the person holding them possesses a certain set of skills and a
certain level of professional competency. In today’s
increasingly competitive business environment, however,
certifications aren’t just for “computer geeks.” There are now a
number of highly valuable certifications available in areas
beyond information technology. If you are a work-at-home parent
or a freelance professional in any field, investing the time and
effort to get a non-technical or semi-technical certification
can reap tremendous benefits.
Why get certified? I believe that there are three fundamental
reasons for you to consider adding a professional certification
to your freelance portfolio.
First, just like the classic IT certifications, holding a
professional certification demonstrates that you are competent.
It’s one thing to state on your resume, website or promotional
materials that you know how to use Microsoft Word, but it’s
quite another to state that you are a Microsoft-Certified Office
Specialist in Word. The difference is just one passable exam,
but to a business considering who to hire for a freelance word
processing or data management project the difference is
significant.
That brings me to the second advantage. As a freelancer (or the
owner of an at-home business services business), being certified
always gives you a “leg up” on the competition. This is
particularly true if you are fairly new to the freelance market
and haven’t yet acquired an impressive list of satisfied
clients. Holding a certification is a quick and reliable way of
letting prospective clients know that you are a professional.
Finally, certification in a relevant field can enable you to
parlay entry-level freelance jobs into more lucrative contracts.
Data entry work, for instance, is typically one of the most
available freelance opportunities; unfortunately, it is also
usually the worst paying. Microsoft certification in Access or
as a database administrator can help a data entry freelancer
transition to a database design and management contract. Today,
there are professional certifications to facilitate such a
business development strategy for freelancers in virtually every
field.
Here’s a look at the best certifications for freelancers and
work-at-home professionals.
CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) offers
the most widely-recognized vendor neutral certifications in the
world. As the name suggests, most of their certifications are in
the IT field; however, many are valuable for freelancers of all
stripes.
For general business services, including any type of consulting
service, CompTIA’s Project+ is invaluable. Project+, as the
company’s website states, is “a global credential that validates
the knowledge required to effectively manage projects throughout
the entire project life cycle.” In addition to project
management basics, the exam includes skills such as conflict
resolution, negotiation, and team building. In short, holding
Project+ certification demonstrates that you know how to do what
the typical MBA graduate has only learned about. Yet, there is
no academic requirement for the Project+, and the exam, though
rigorous, is definitely passable for those willing to study.
Sitting for the Project+ exam costs $207 USD, but you can almost
always find discount test vouchers online for about $150.
CompTIA’s e-Biz+ certification demonstrates a degree of
proficiency in the concepts, issues and technologies of
IT-enabled business processes. Don’t panic, though—you won’t
have to memorize html code! Rather, e-Biz+ demonstrates
knowledge of e-commerce, e-marketing and other issues related to
maximizing the benefit of utilizing technology in a business
environment. This certification could be highly valuable for
freelancers and work-at-home professionals working as business
consultants, or for those with Internet-based businesses. The
retail exam fee for the e-Biz+ test is currently $225.
CompTIA also offers the i-Net+ certification. This exam covers
Internet basics, web development, networking and security
issues. Don’t let the word “networking” scare you, though. This
is a semi-technical certification that is of far more value to
e-commerce and marketing freelancers than to network
administrators. The i-Net+ exam currently costs $207.
Microsoft
You don’t need to be a networking guru to benefit from the
prestige and recognition of official Microsoft certification.
The company also offers universally-recognized certification
options for end users of the Office suite and Microsoft Project.
Microsoft Office certification is available at three levels. For
certification as a Specialist, you must pass an exam in Word,
Excel, PowerPoint or Access. That’s right—you’re just one test
away from being Microsoft certified!
The next level is Expert certification. That requires the
passage of a somewhat more rigorous exam. Currently, the
expert-level tests are only available for Word and Excel.
To attain Master certification, the candidate must pass a total
of four exams: Word 2003 Expert, Excel 2003 Expert, PowerPoint
2003 and either Access 2003 or Outlook 2003. That’s a lot of
tests, but holding Microsoft Office Master Certification can
really set a freelancer apart in the eyes of a prospective
client. Test vouchers for each Microsoft exam can be found
online for approximately $70.
Conclusion
Like the rest of the global business climate, the world of
freelancing and self-employment grows more competitive every
day. Professional certification is not a panacea that will
guarantee success, but it can certainly help you stay ahead of
the competition and win new clients.
About the author:
Sean Dunagan is the president of Pinnacle Associates, a
web-based resource for freelance professionals and home-based
business owners. For more articles like this one, please visit
http://www.pinnacleassociates.50megs.com
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