Digital signage expert and principal of Brawn Consulting, Alan Brawn is renowned for his skills as well as his long-term commitment to training and certifications. In an interview with Commercial Integrator, quoted below, he points out 8 reasons to get certified.
In the original article the focus was on digital signage, but Alan’s points are just as valid for the general AV industry – as my comments indicate. Here are 8 great reasons to get certified:
It fights commoditization. That the AV industry is becoming a commodity market is well documented. Brawn points out that too many products and services appear on the surface to be the same or at least very similar to the casual observer or customer. For AV integrators it’s important to differentiate themselves. Certification certainly helps in terms of a differentiating marketing message, but the training and achievement involved with certification also leads to motivated and confident employees likely to create a positive experience that the client or customer will have reasons to remember.
There’s a proven track record. Health care, architecture, construction – it’s easy to rattle off industries that embrace certification. There are proven reasons why so many industries leverage industry certifications, which become essential parts of job recruitment, hiring, job skills training, promotions, professional development and advancement.
It’s credible. The DSF, the DSE and numerous manufacturers, resellers and end users have partnered with the DSEG to bring a comprehensive set of industry certification programs to the digital signage industry, Brawn points out.
– From a broader AV perspective, most of the certifications in the market have a high degree of trust. They have spent years establishing their educational programs. Many certifications and training programs build on recognized standards and best practices.
It’s accessible. DSEG provides online and live event certification designed to bring an individual and their company the education they need to address differentiation in a meaningful way.
– Many certification providers in the AV industry provide live event certification, tailored to give participants the certification they need to stick out from the crowd.
There’s a unified goal. DSEG’s certification programs are impartial, agnostic and vendor-neutral, Brawn says, and administered by an independent industry organization with an advisory board of subject matter experts offering clear educational messaging and industry recognition for professional development and achievement.
– It’s not only DSEG who offer impartial programs. Certifications from AVIXA (CTS), Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and CEDIA (ESC) are also vendor-neutral.
It sets goals for continual improvement. Industry certifications provide professional credentials and a means of recognizing accomplishments, knowledge and accomplishments by the industry as well as the outside world. It establishes a path for continuing education and insures that the certification holder is at the forefront of knowledge in their chosen field. It provides a path inside a company for employee professional development and job level advancement.
It leads to better job performance. There’s little question that certification leads to improved job performance through increased knowledge and gaining confidence and pride in working to an industry recognized standard of knowledge.
It creates community. Certification organizations like DSEG provide a venue for members to network with other industry professionals, fostering sharing of ideas, techniques and information that not only allows for personal improvement but improvement of the overall company and the industry as a whole. Meanwhile, certification providers are a source and facilitators of strategic partnerships between companies and industry organizations, enabling them to form key alliances, bringing new capabilities and sales opportunities.
Now you have 8 good reasons to get yourself a certification. If you wonder what kind of certifications that are out there, you can read the previous blog post on why certifications and industry standards matter.
PS Read more about digital signage, AV and more in Commercial Integrator (commercialintegrator.com)