“Why, why, why do I have to cram this stuff that has nothing to do with real life? I will forget it the moment I leave the exam room, no doubt about it! Really, how important for my professional success can it be, that one hundred goats had 102 tumors , and that you should not feed your tadpoles (yes tadpoles) with spinach (yes spinach), because you will damage their kidneys? Maybe if you are a professional frog breeder, it is important, yes, but who of us is? Not me…”
These and similar thoughts were running through my head during my exam preparation phase as I was covering more and more relatively unimportant, but yet so bizarre material, that it would for sure appear on the test. I bet everyone who has been there and struggled severely, going through vast amounts of ridiculous material, can relate to that.
So why are we doing this?
Why do we put so much energy and effort into passing these professional exams?
Sure, we all know the obvious,
that obtaining a professional certification will
- Increase your competences
- Increase your professional prestige
- Grant you a higher salary (at least it should, most of the time)
- Secure your job
- and give you competitive advantage over non-certified professionals
All of the above bullets are self explanatory, but…
Is this enough to torture yourself with practice tests?
Maybe you already have enough professional experience, and the certification will just be a piece of paper adding another title to your name? How much can your salary change? Maybe you run your own business, so you yourself are taking care of your job security, and it has nothing to do with some certification? All these benefits are so intangible before getting certified, so why bother?
Why is it important?
Let us reverse the question and ask ourselves: in an area outside of my expertise, would I rather use services of a certified or a non-certified professional? The answer seems so obvious – a certified professional is (or is supposed to be) more highly qualified. This is why professional certificates were introduced in the first place.
A certificate is an officially documented guarantee of professional qualifications.
It assures, that the professionals holding the certificate acquired a level of competence necessary to provide the best and safest services. Of course I would like to use services of a certified professional! Who wouldn’t?
I know it, everyone knows it, it is all logical. So do we all follow through? No! The resistance to spending so much time preparing for what sometimes seems like just a piece of paper is there for everyone, for those who voluntarily take professional exams and those who don’t. So there must be something more to put oneself through this effort, some personal motivation, something that will keep you going when you don’t feel like it at all…
What is your motivation?
Why did I want to earn my professional certification, even though I was already working in a fast growing veterinary practice, where I was a partner from the beginning?
To me my professional certificate was my KEY TO THE WORLD..
Since I was twelve years old, I wanted to become a veterinary surgeon, but I also had another dream. I wanted to be location independent. Independence of location meant being able to pursue my professional career any place in the world. I desperately wanted to combine veterinary medicine with mobility worldwide, and the only way of doing it, was obtaining qualifications which were recognized all over the world.
What does that mean for a veterinary surgeon from Poland? Usually having to repeat all the university finals, if you want to work outside of Europe in a setting other than academic research. I couldn’t allow myself to repeat my studies, but I was planning to specialize, and I chose to specialize on an international level, decided for pathology and sought accredited residency centers, none of which was located in my country, so I went to Germany.
Later, during my efforts to enroll in the residency program, I remember driving with a friend who was about to start her preparation for the exam. She already completed her three year long residency program, and was eligible for the exam. She was telling me about her plans for studying and how challenging it would be, and I was jealous…Jealous, that she was ready to face the challenge I so much wanted to prepare for.
At that time, I was still uncertain if I will be admitted to the program and I wished so much to be in her place. It all turned out well and I got to where she was. I had to struggle with my own exam preparation, but it paid off and now I have the qualifications confirmed by an internationally recognized certificate which will help me achieve my goals.
Regardless whether I continue where I am, search for other opportunities, become a freelance consultant or decide to open my own company, this certification will always be a proof of my professional competence to the outside world, and I am proud I got it.
This is my key to the world. There is still a long road ahead, even after you open the door, but now I have access to it and can start the journey, wherever I want.
What is it that keeps you going?
What doors will open for you once you are certified? What makes you go through the piles of notes and stacks of books of difficult material when you least feel like it? Let me know below!