Earning new Microsoft Certifications and skills takes dedication; from completing courses and studying for the big day to finally passing the certification exam or putting new skills to work on the job, you deserve to celebrate your achievements.
Giving yourself a pat on the back and making sure others know you’ve put in all that effort not only feels good, it also empowers you to transform those additional tools into real benefits for your career. It ensures your professional network understands that you’re committed, hard-working, and talented enough to attain your career goals.
Letting peers know about your new skills and certifications can also increase your chances of getting ahead. Take LinkedIn for instance: Members listing at least five skills on their profiles are messaged up to 27 times more than those who don’t.1
As Daniel Christian, a Microsoft MVP and certified trainer says, “When you earn certifications, in addition to the positive feeling you get, you can also put your badges on LinkedIn and your resume. It’s a simple action that can give you the edge you need to set yourself apart from other candidates – to prove that you’ve got something extra.”
Not only can you prove it, but you can also turn new knowledge and ability into added income. About 35% of technical professionals say getting certified led to salary or wage increases, and 26% report job promotions.2 Gaining skills can also move your career forward; 87% of recruiters consider skills to be a critical factor when it comes to vetting candidates.3 These advantages come when your managers and others realize you have the capabilities and dedication to continuously learn.
Professional development also creates a measurable boost in confidence. IDC found that IT professionals who were certified were consistently more likely to believe they could learn difficult skills, with 91% of certified IT professionals believing that the effort employees put into acquiring new skills strongly contributes to their success.4
Wear your badge proudly
The first step to letting peers know about your achievement, as soon as you pass an exam or earn a certification, is through claiming a digital badge. Microsoft partners with Credly to award badges for certification achievements.
Digital badges give you authenticated digital representations of your achievements including an easily-recognized badge image and metadata uniquely linked to you and your achievement. Anyone looking at your information instantly sees your skills aligned to the certification and can verify the badge’s authenticity. You can share your digital badge on popular online sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and embed it into your resume, personal website, or email signature. It’s an easy and objective way to prove you have what it takes to advance in your career.
One more tip to honor your achievements: keep them up to date. Don’t forget to periodically renew your certifications and update your skills. You can find a wealth of resources to refresh them on Microsoft Learn.
Related posts:
1LinkedIn, “What You Need to Know To Get Hired This Month: September 2020”
2Microsoft, “10 reasons to earn a Microsoft certification,” 2020
3LinkedIn, “To Find Your Next Job More Quickly, Tell Your Community You’re Open to Work,” October 2020
4IDC white paper, sponsored by Microsoft, “Business Value of Digital Transformation and the Contribution of a Growth Mindset in IT,” May 2020.
