Professional Certification Benefits

There are 1.1M credentials but our latest research finds that only 12% offer significant wage gain earners wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. The Burning Glass Institute is launching the Credential Value Index to show which ones work, evaluating the outcomes from 23,000 non-degree credentials from over 2,000 providers, including every certification in America—from Coursera digital marketing certificates to OSHA certifications. To see whether they actually deliver for workers, we analyzed how each changed the course of the careers of 7 million people who had earned them. While only 1 in 3 credentials meet a minimum threshold vs. counterfactual peers for either boosting wages, facilitating career changes, or moving people up within their field, we still found 8,000 credentials that really move the needle for workers—often in ways that are transformative. The top decile of credentials yields annual wage gains of nearly $5,000 vs. counterfactual peers, increases by 7x vs. bottom credentials the chances of switching jobs into an aligned career, and boosts by 17x the probability of an earner’s getting promoted within their current field. We found wide variances in outcomes even for the same credential across named providers–and across the portfolio of credential offerings of even high-reputation providers. That says that learners can’t just trust brands and they can’t just trust that a credential will help just because it’s in a high-paying field. Instead, they need real data to help them make informed decisions. Our goal in this work is practical: to put these evaluations in the hands of workers and learners, employers, education institutions & training providers, and policymakers. The Credential Value Index–available through our Navigator site available on https://lnkd.in/e_BTX9bs –makes all 23,000 evaluations accessible to the public, with easy-to-understand metrics of performance, comparisons with other credentials, and helpful context, like which roles earners find themselves working in, which employers they’re working for, and which skills they master along the way. Our research is summarized in an American Enterprise Institute working paper which I coauthored with AEI senior fellow Mark Schneider and Burning Glass Institute colleagues Shrinidhi Rao, Scott Spitze, and Debbie Wasden. You can find it on https://lnkd.in/ezynMA-v. I want to express my deep thanks to Ellie Bertani, Matt Zieger, and the GitLab Foundation for all they have done to support this initiative. I am grateful for your partnership. And a big thank you to Patti Constantakis and Sean Murphy at Walmart for the opportunity to test this framework in a real-world laboratory. Finally, the Credential Value Index builds on a close partnership with Jobs for the Future (JFF). Many thanks to Maria Flynn, Stephen Yadzinski, and their terrific team. #education #careers #highereducation #learning #skills

Certifications: Worthless Pieces of Paper? I often hear debates about the value of certifications. Some dismiss them as mere pieces of paper, but I see them differently. Certifications are not the end goal but an important stepping stone towards a significant journey. Ever heard of a doctor out of med school operating on a human? Ever heard of a newly minted pilot flying a commercial airline? No? But why? Probably, certifications don't matter. Let's flip it Would you go to a person willing to treat you but has never been to a medical school? Or Would you go to the best veterinarian to treat you because he has real-world experience? Would you fly in a plane piloted by the best F1 driver? No? But, you get my drift Here's why formal learning matters: 1.Structured Learning and Foundation: Certifications provide a structured path to learning. They ensure you cover essential topics and understand foundational principles. This structured approach is crucial, especially when starting or transitioning to a new field. 2.Credibility and Differentiation: A certification can set you apart in a competitive job market. It signals to employers and peers that you have invested time and effort into your professional development, have met specific standards of knowledge and competence, and are committed to your field. 3.Practical Application: Good certification programs emphasize practical, hands-on experience. They encourage you to apply what you've learned in real-world scenarios, bridging the gap between theory and practice. 4.Confidence Boost: Earning a certification can boost your confidence in your skills and knowledge. It validates your abilities and gives you the courage to take on new challenges. 5.Networking Opportunities: Certification programs often include a community of like-minded professionals. This network can be invaluable for knowledge sharing, mentorship, and career opportunities. The Real Value of Certifications Certifications are not the ultimate goal but a part of a more extensive journey. They are tools that help you build a strong foundation, stay current, and differentiate yourself in your career. However, they must be complemented by real-world experience, continuous learning, and a proactive approach to professional growth. My Take In my career as an agile consultant, certifications have played a crucial role. They have provided me with a solid knowledge base and connected me with a network of professionals. But the journey didn't stop there. Continuous learning and applying that knowledge in practical scenarios have been vital to my growth. Final Thoughts Don't dismiss certifications as just pieces of paper. See them for what they truly are: essential milestones on your path to success. Embrace them, but also commit to lifelong learning and practical application. Together, these elements will propel you toward significant achievements in your career.

Certifications != Job But here’s what these top certs will help you with: – Structuring your learning around in-demand cloud skills – Building credibility for roles across engineering, security, architecture, and data – Showing employers your initiative and readiness for advanced cloud responsibilities – Preparing for cloud positions across AWS, Azure, GCP, and multi-cloud environments When picking a certification path: Look at the roles it helps you target, and the kind of impact you'll be able to make once you're in that role. Here are some of the top cloud certifications I see many people pursuing: 1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) - Ideal For: Solution Architects, Cloud Engineers - Career Impact: High demand, multi-industry, builds core AWS skills 2. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) - Ideal For: Azure Admins, Cloud Support Engineers - Career Impact: Fast-growing Azure market, enterprise opportunities 3. Google Professional Cloud Architect (PCA) - Ideal For: Cloud Architects, DevOps Engineers - Career Impact: Premium certification, great for architects 4. Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) - Ideal For: DevOps, Cloud Native, Platform Engineers - Career Impact: Critical for containerized app deployment & management 5. HashiCorp Terraform Authoring and Operations Professional - Ideal For: DevOps, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Engineers - Career Impact: Key for IaC roles, multi-cloud demand and more as listed in the image.. A few final points: → Choose your certifications based on your target role, not popularity → Prioritize hands-on practice alongside your study materials → Remember: certifications can open doors, but skills and experience will keep them open What cert are you aiming for next? Let me know below. If you find these tips useful.. • • • 🔔 Follow me (Vishakha) for more Cloud content ♻️ Share so more people can learn. Image source: kodekloud.com

Back in the day, I was HOARDING certifications. I spent most of my free time trying to earn as many as possible. Some colleagues thought I was crazy, saying I was trying too hard to prove myself or that certifications alone don't equate to real expertise. And to some extent, I agree. Just having a certification doesn't mean you truly know what you're doing. But here's the thing: those certifications helped me get exactly where I wanted to be. My goal back then was freelancing, and for that you need a strong and complete resume. I can really say they made me stand out, opened doors to jobs and assignments I wouldn't have landed otherwise and ultimately helped shape my career. Now, from a hiring perspective, I see things from the other side too. I too filter candidates based on certifications. What most people overlook is that it's not about the specific hardskills at all: ✅ Earning certifications requires discipline, one of the most underrated (and often lacking) skills. ✅ Most certifications are done in your free time, showing dedication and a growth mindset. ✅ And last but not least, they make you stand out against those who don’t have them. So if you're debating whether certifications are worth it, trust me, they are. But, don't just acquire them for the sake of acquiring; acquire them with a goal in mind. I know this is an everlasting, hot topic. I wonder what others think, have certifications helped your career?

If you’re choosing a credential based on prestige, price, or how many people have it, you might be asking the wrong questions.  Our new The Brookings Institution research shows what genuinely delivers value:  • Value depends far less on the number of credentials than on whether they’re relevant to the job. A worker’s first job-relevant credential is associated with a 3.8% wage premium, while stacking irrelevant credentials delivers no additional return. • Credential type matters. Job-relevant certifications show sustained wage gains and positive returns to accumulation, while badges and certificates tend to deliver only a one-time bump with little payoff from stacking.    • Credentials matter most for non-college and early career workers. For workers without a bachelor’s degree, a first job-relevant credential is associated with a 6.8% wage premium, roughly twice the return for college graduates – yet those workers earn credentials less often, highlighting persistent access barriers. In an increasingly crowded credential market, the right credential can boost wages. The wrong one can waste time and money. But how do you tell the difference? Read our full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/ey-3Gy2N  Revelio Labs Sean Murphy Ian Seyal Strada Education Foundation

Just had an eye-opening experience I thought I'd share: Recently, I was up against 9 other AWS freelance consultants for an infrastructure audit gig. Guess what tipped the scales in my favor? My AWS certifications! The client specifically chose me because I hold 7 AWS certifications, while the others had 2-3 on average. Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Certifications can be a differentiator in a competitive market 2️⃣ Some clients see certs as a measure of expertise and commitment 3️⃣ Investing in your skills and knowledge pays off While real-world experience is crucial, don't underestimate the power of those certifications. They might just land you your next big project! Have you had similar experiences? How do you view AWS certifications in your hiring or selection process?

Credential inflation is often presented as evidence of labour-market progress: higher standards, better matching, stronger quality control. A recurring pattern suggests a less comfortable interpretation. In many institutions, rising credential requirements reflect not more demanding work, but a more defensive approach to hiring risk. The dominant assumption is that additional qualifications improve performance and reduce error. Yet when degree thresholds rise faster than job complexity, the credential’s function shifts. It becomes less a signal of capability and more a governance proxy, useful for processing volume, defending decisions, and limiting managerial discretion under scrutiny. This is best understood as an institutional design issue. In Canada, employers, regulators, and professional bodies operate in environments that reward procedural defensibility, especially in regulated sectors and publicly accountable organisations. A recurring pattern is that proxy signals displace direct assessment, entry pathways narrow, and hiring systems become better at documenting exclusion than evaluating potential. Another pattern is learning erosion: when visible hiring mistakes carry more reputational cost than missed talent, institutions refine thresholds rather than improve role design, onboarding, or competency testing. The central thesis is that credential inflation often functions as a labour-market distortion created by risk management systems that substitute proxies for assessment. Its consequences are economic before they are ideological. Capable workers are underused, productivity slows, service delivery delays lengthen, and wage pressure rises in pockets without proportional output gains. Institutions then incur higher execution costs to secure talent they have already filtered out. The policy implication is practical. Treat credential thresholds as governance choices, not neutral defaults. Require role-to-credential justification and periodic review where requirements outpace demonstrable job demands, while expanding competency-based assessment for hiring and licensing decisions.

New data from the 2023 American Community Survey illustrate a phenomenon known as degree inflation: when education requirements rise for certain jobs. In 1980, 29% of prime-age workers earning between $60,000 and $80,000 (in today’s dollars) held a bachelor’s degree or higher. Workers without a four-year degree made up the vast majority of this income bracket. But that is no longer true: today, 52% of this group holds a bachelor's degree or higher. Students who bear the costs of college but land jobs paying salaries well below college level may not fully earn back the cost of their education. While college is still a good financial bet on average, a substantial minority of students do not see a return on investment. This contributes to struggles with student loan repayment and the perception that college is no longer “worth it.” In addition to harming these college graduates, degree inflation closes job opportunities to the 64% of Americans who do not have a college degree. As college graduates creep into lower income brackets, those without a bachelor’s degree slowly disappear from the upper echelons. For instance, it used to be common for those without college degrees to land promotions to higher-paid managerial roles; now, most managers and administrators must have degrees. Employers and state governments have attempted to address this problem by dropping degree requirements from some job postings. Though this is excellent, the fruits of their efforts have not yet shown up in the data. Read more in my latest at Forbes: https://lnkd.in/eSftR7Ci

You can do everything right in Singapore — Take the course. Pass the assessment. Get the certificate. And still hear this at the interview: “Sorry, you don’t have enough experience.” We say we are building a 'skills-first' economy. But on the ground, many workers are stuck in this loop: Train → Certify → Rejected → Repeat Let’s call it what it is: 👉 Credential Inflation 2.0 We’ve moved from: * Degrees  To: * Courses  To: * Layered assessments validating those same courses And yet — Even after multiple certifications, many are still not getting hired. This is often framed as a skills gap. That is only half true. 👉 This is a skills-to-work conversion failure at scale. We are getting better at: * Teaching skills * Testing skills * Certifying skills But not at producing people who can perform in real jobs. Because employers are hiring based on one question: 👉 “Have you actually done this before?” The system is working exactly as designed: * Training providers are funded on completion * Assessments optimize for standardization * Employers are end-users, not co-owners So we scale what we measure: ✔️ More courses ✔️ More assessments ✔️ More credentials Not: ❌ More job-ready workers The risk is already building. If even a fraction of trainees don’t convert: 👉 Thousands remain underutilized each year 👉 Hundreds of millions in lost productivity 👉 This is system-level leakage at scale. This model will not hold. You cannot build a skills-first economy on: ❌ Classroom validation ❌ Simulated assessments ❌ Paper credentials The shift is structural: Not: ❌ Learn → Assess → Certify But: ✅ Learn → **Do real work** → Employer verifies → Credential Three execution levers: 1) Tie funding to employment outcomes Not just completion — but real, sustained jobs 2) Make employers co-owners Co-design training, provide real work exposure, lead assessment 3) Fund work as the assessment Projects, attachments, real-world tasks 👉 Work should not follow training. 👉 Work should be the validation. If we don’t fix this: * Workers keep training but lose confidence * Employers stop trusting credentials * The system produces certificates faster than capability We don’t have a training problem. 👉 We have a conversion problem. Until skills turn into real work at scale — We are not building a skills-first economy. We are scaling a certification system that employers quietly ignore.