Coming from me, this might sound a bit ironic. I am an addicted lifelong learner and I am always in the lookout for another Certificate. Just before I have completed a training, I already have my eyes on my next one.
But I have a reason for doing it. I love learning new things and deepening my knowledge in the areas I find interesting. Self-development, leadership, entrepreneurship, women empowerment and conscious parenting are my main topics.
I do it for myself.
I don’t do it for the glory of it, I don’t do it so I can post and brag about it. Yes, I am proud of my achievements and that was hard to begin with. I used to dismiss them and think that everyone could do it. Not anymore. I put the effort, the late nights and the financial investment in order to get my Certificates.
But even though I have acquired a few of them already, I don’t attribute my success to them.
So what do you have to have in order to succeed?
You have to have the right character first and foremost. You have to have the right mindset. You have to have the willingness, the grit and the motivation to succeed. You have to make things happen. You have to create your opportunities.
Being passive and wondering why employers don’t come knocking on your door for that shiny CV of yours is not going to take you anywhere.
Think about this situation:
If you were an employer, would you rather recruit a positive, passionate and willing to learn person with little to no experience? Or would you rather hire an experienced person, who believes s/he knows everything, has a negative energy and finds flaws in everything?
Well, the first person means that it will cost you more financially, as you will have to train him/her. The second person will be able to start working straight away, so less cost for you, but you will have to deal with all the negativity, which will give you anxiety.
As my husband always says and I couldn’t agree more, you can train someone to do a task, but you cannot change his/her character.
So my personal choice would be the first person.
I have seen people with countless Degrees and Certificates living a life of mediocracy.
I have also seen people with little education hold positions and gain salaries that University graduates dream of.
Certificates will not guarantee you success. The training you go through before earning them provides you with knowledge and skills; it gives you practical tools on its respective field. Certificates give you prestige and recognition. They also give you access to more people of influence.
Yes, Certificates do help and they might accelerate your success.
But YOU will make success happen. Your character, your proactiveness, your determination.
So, what action do you need to take in order to succeed?