Susan

I want the certification because I want to learn some standards of practices and more creative ways to connect with participants and teams. I realize I can’t be prepared for everthing however I do believe in being prepared and connecting with others to learn better, more efficient ways of helping people (and all other things for a project to be successful). I also think the certification prepares everyone to operate on a platform of ethics. Accountability is important to me and I’m generally not the fly-by-the-hem-of-my-skirt kind of person.

So, thanks! I’m looking forward to working with you.

I’m glad you are a CPF and a great supporter of IAF and the profession. As a CPF assessor I continue to learn new tools and techniques from candidates going through the certification process.

Thanks for reading and writing

Susan

Sounds like you have some rich background/experience that can never be replaced by a new kid on the block holding a certificate. The reason I like the IAF Certified Professional Facilitator designation is because it is the only certification for facilitators (group collaborators) offered by a professional organization, and one must have experience as well as knowledge that can be demonstrated in the written application, interviews and a practical to pass.

Thanks for reading and responding.

Susan

To my surprise, I found that the entire process of taking the CPF assessment to be extremely valuable. I not only got to see other experts demonstrate their technique, but I had the opportunity to reflect on how I work in relation to the IAF competencies.

To anyone who is experienced and holding back, I urge you to jump in. It will enhance what you already know and teach you new things. You will also have the added advantage of knowing that you contributed to the important work of the IAF by supporting their certification efforts.

Happy facilitating!

Ingrid Bens

I guess the value of certification depends on the field you are in, as well as the company you work for. I currently work in the data communications field, where certifications are a dime a dozen. Because companies seem to value certs above actual experience, companies tend to end up stuck behind the eight-ball so to speak.

An example from personal experience. I have been in my field since the early eighties. I have helped design, as well as been certified in technology that have matured, yet by today’s standards they are considered out of date. Companies view someone who is certified in the new technology with the mind set “Well, they must understand it better”, when in fact they weren’t there to watch the technology grow and don’t understand what makes it work. They just know it does.

Also, certs are a mater of taking a test, which anyone can cram for and pass thanks to web sites like pass4sure.com. Here where I work, we developed a hiring process that consists of real world scenarios, which are presented during the interview process and ask the applicant how they would resolve it. We have passed up applicants with higher education (from PHD’s, to engineering certs such as CCNE’s), for others who lack certifications, yet can demonstrated a working knowledge, as well as have abilities in thinking outside of the box in problem solving. (Certs only cover what’s in the box). Production is up, and the payroll budget isn’t over bloated.

In short, from my experience, certifications are highly over rated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this,
Jason Norfleet