I am curious about VA certifications. If you already have the administrative and customer service experience, what more do you get from VA certification? Is it just to show clients that you are credible or do VA trainings programs hone in on the specifics of virtual assisting. I looked at IVAA and the certification they offer is for things I already know so I'm just wondering if there is more to gain from a certification .

Thanks

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Angela D. Jordan
Your Humble Assistant, LLC

Angela,

Here is the link to a recent, excellent thread regarding VA certifications.

You can't get the experience from a VA certification but you have the title, which may or may not be important to your business. It is up to you.

Janine

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WRITE FAB RFP PROPOSALS & land THE VA job. WinningRFP unveils soon! SignUp www.WinningRFP.com

When I got certified, I received very specific training in how to set up my business (still in the process of doing that), assessing clients needs, brainstorming, training on various social networks (Twitter, Facebook Fan Pages, LinkedIn, etc), setting up a client's own social network using Ning, etc, what tools to use for delivering report data to them and how to use them, resources, and on and on....all in all, a well-rounded education. I'm really glad I did it.

I also get the title and certification, letting clients know that I was indeed trained in what I offer them. I'm presently updating my education for 2010, since things change so rapidly.

I'd say it's very much worth the time.

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Tony Thomas - Social Media Professional
Social Media of Portland

A certification is a form of validation of skills and abilities against an established set of criteria developed by an established oversight organization. In my opinion, the validity of certification directly correlates to the continuing education required to maintain it.

While they may exist, I have not found a VA certification program that even hints at continuing education post certification.

Think of this, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) take courses and become certified. They are then required to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to prove they are still capable and up-to-date on the standards. The same is true for CNAs and insurance agents and many others.

If your potential client understands what it means to have certification, presenting your credentials will be helpful. It has been my experience that clients are indifferent to professional certification. I would like to see that change. I am a believer in continuing ed and find most people won’t seek it unless “motivated” by a certification requirement.

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Robin A. Holstein
Robin's Desktop Virtual Administrative Services
My Blog

I assume that the program Tony went through was VA Classroom [but please correct me if I'm wrong?] because it's one of the very few I have heard of that actually teaches new skills - many of the other 'Virtual Assistant Certifications' out there are just badges that were literally invented by someone in the industry who saw an opportunity to make some money. There is no real weight behind them at all.

If you really want to be certified, look for a situation where you're either being tested based on your knowledge [like the Microsoft certifications, etc.] or it's a process where you're learning something new, expanding your skill set, etc. - regardless of the 'certificate' - because the only thing that's going to change your bottom line [your rates, your market, etc.] is being able to offer the skills that your ideal clients are looking for. The only other case I can see for pursuing a VA-specific certification is if it's offered through an accredited school - and there are community colleges that offer these programs in person and online.

The certifications out there with nothing much attached to them are not going to change what you can offer as a service, or what you can charge for that service, one way or the other.

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Mine was indeed through VA Classroom.

I have a live Q&A webinar at 11am, covering this last week of the 2010 update training. Fun times

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Tony Thomas - Social Media Professional
Social Media of Portland

Thanks for clarifying Tony I've only ever heard great things about VA Classroom - Craig seems to work hard to offer courses that are based on hot skills and those that he sees 'coming' - and it really is less about the 'certification' and more about gaining those skills that are going to enhance your business.

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Absolutely true, Tess.

Aside from the great training (presently, we're going through a 35-45 minute training video on a different subject each day), they have resource guides for each session as well as assignments to help exercise what we've learned.

You can watch numerous videos on varying subjects, download and listen to MP3s from some of the top people in the industry as well as people who specialize in certain things (WordPress, Twitter, etc), and post your profile to a searchable directory, showing off your certs and skills, that is open to clients looking to hire.

Lots of goodies

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Tony Thomas - Social Media Professional
Social Media of Portland

Tess,

Your insight is very helpful and honest. Altough I am still figuring out what "VA Certifications" really offer in terms of education and formal accreditations, which I think they don't...unless someone has a College or University Degree.

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Your Virtual Assistant--Bilingual
www.AssistantOffice.com

Angela,

I am not a fan of certifications just to be certified. I have taken some of Craig's VAClassroom certifications but because I wanted to take advantage of the knowledge and learning that I could get from the programs.

Instead of looking for certification programs, look for training programs as has been mentioned by others. Find classes that will allow you to enhance or hone your skills and if they have a certification attached, that is an added bonus.

I have said this before and I will say again, I have never had a client ask what type of certifications I have. However I have had clients ask about particular skill sets I have or am currently working on improving.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant