We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Home

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Professional Certification?

By G. Wiesen
Updated: Feb 07, 2024
Views: 6,462
Share

A professional certification is a document or title, typically issued by a professional association, which indicates to others that someone who has earned the certification is particularly knowledgeable or possesses certain skills. This sort of certification is utilized in a number of professional fields and is often used as a way to indicate professional training as well as various other accomplishments. There are several forms of certification, though some of the most common are internal certification, product-specific certification, and profession-wide certification. A professional certification is somewhat similar to professional licensure, though a license is usually granted by a government body and may be legally mandated for certain professionals.

Also called trade certification or qualification, professional certification usually serves as an indicator to others that a person has attained a certain level of training or education. This certification is not necessary for a profession or at least not legally required, but is often used as a way to eliminate competing prospective employees during job interviews. A professional certification can often serve as a simple way for someone to indicate to others that he or she is qualified to perform certain duties. The nature of this sort of certification, however, can vary quite a bit.

One of the most common types of professional certification is internal certification, which is typically issued by a corporation or company to an employee of that company. This usually indicates that the certified employee has undergone some type of special training or has completed a particular internal seminar. Product-specific certification is often used in technological industries, especially computer software programming and development, where it serves to indicate that a person has training and understanding of a particular program or aspect of technology. Profession-wide certification is often used in professions such as accountancy, and indicates that someone has received training and experience that qualifies him or her to work within a given profession.

A professional certification usually differs from professional licensure in that a certification is issued by a private professional organization or agency, while a license is usually government issued. Licensure is typically required in certain professions in which the government controls who is qualified to work in that profession, such as the medical field or aviation. While a professional certification serves to indicate someone’s skills and knowledge in a given field, such certification is not often legally mandatory. Licensure, on the other hand, is usually required for a person to practice a particular profession in a state or country.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-a-professional-certification.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.