So you have your degree now, what’s next? You find that nice eight to five job with great benefits but now you want something more, something bigger, something better; what’s next? You could go for your Master’s, but everyone is getting a Master’s these days. How about getting certified in your discipline or an area of interest?

As I mentioned in my About Me section, I am finishing up my final semester of college obtaining a bachelor’s in business. I also mention that I have been in the workforce for about 10 years where I have learn that having a bachelor’s degree is just not enough in order to take your career to the next level.

Walking up and down the corridors in the College of Business you frequently hear people talk about their major, their class schedule, their test and much more. One thing hear from others to Accounting majors is, “Are you sitting for your CPA?” Out of my 3 years attending college I have hardly ever heard anyone talk about the plethora professional certifications that exists, nor have I hear our professor market them. Here is a quick list of some certifications.

Certification	Sponsoring Organization
Professional in Human Resources	HRCI.org
Professional in Project Management	PMI.org
Certified Business Analysis Professional	IIBA.org
Six Sigma	ASQ.org
Microsoft Office Specialist Expert	Microsoft.com
Certified Public Accountant	AICPA.org

No, these are not a certificates like in grade school or where you sit in a classroom for a day and get something saying you attended, these is a professional certification that proof you are an expert or master in specialized field. Most if not all of require several hours if not years of additional education before one can even sit for the exam. Certifications such as these are in demand by the workforce today and they will provide great advantage to those well to go the extra mile.