Be it a professional or a fresher, both constantly look for upgrading their management skills. One of the most convenient ways to keep working on the skill is by opting for the best professional certifications. There are many reasons for people looking for the best business certification. Some want to grab management knowledge while others for professional and career advancement.
Business Certifications in Demand in 2021
Below is a list of good certifications to have if looking for job opportunities, career advancement, or a higher salary. These certifications have value in almost all parts of the world. Be it marketing, sales, business analytics, leadership, or project management, everything is covered. No matter what someone’s background is, but doing one of these certifications will add value to the resume.
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Hubspot Inbound Marketing
- Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
- APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional certification (CSCP)
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- Professional in Project Management (PPM)
- Certified Brand Manager, AIPMM
- SAP Certified Application Associate – Business Consolidation and Planning
Project Management Professional
A management professional needs to keep enhancing skills to be a good leader. They need to be effective at managing projects and people both. PMP is a perfect certification that makes a person a professional when it comes to managing projects. This professional certification helps to get recruited with a salary increase. This certification is provided by PMI and is well recognized in the IT and management sector. It has a stiff requirement that includes:
- Global Equivalent/Associate Degree/High School Diploma; Experience in heading projects for 7500 hours or more and education in project management for 35 hours
- An undergraduate 4-year degree;4500 hours experience in heading project; studying project management for 35 hours
A person has to pass an exam consisting of 200 Multiple choice questions via ‘Pearson VUE’ to earn the PMP certification. The certification fee is USD 555 for non-members and for PMI members it is 405 USD. The PMP certification needs to be maintained by earning 60 PDUs every three years.
Hubspot Inbound Marketing
To extract customers, businesses build content and tailored experiences that are valuable, and this process is known as Inbound Marketing. It is very important in the sale aspect of any business. By demonstrating inbound marketing strategies and demonstrating proficiency, one can become a perfect employee or a candidate. One such way to learn these tactics is through doing the Hubspot Marketing certification for free. This course can be done sitting at home as well. It teaches inbound fundamentals and how to use those strategies in businesses or the workplace. It takes two hours to watch the video learning material and further answer some of the quizzes.
Certified Business Analysis Professional
This professional certification is provided by IIBA. Anyone keen to learn how to analyze businesses and come up with a solution to fits their requirements can do CBAP. To be eligible for pursuing this certification a candidate should meet the following requirements:
- 7500 hours experience in business analysis
- Professional development of 35 hours
- References from two individuals with whom they have worked
An individual needs to pass and finish an exam within 210 minutes consisting of 125 MCQs. Planning of business analysis, life-cycle management, solution evaluation, and strategy analysis are some of the topics that are covered in CBAP certification.
Certified Supply Chain Professional Certification
This supply chain certification recognizes the ability of the candidate to developing streamlined operations. Rather than focusing on the marketing or sales aspect, CSCP focuses on the business supply side. Topics that teach managing end-to-end global supply chains, maximizing the ERP investment of an organization are covered in this certification. One can self-study by referring to the materials provided or attend sessions by the APIC instructors. To get this certification one has to write an exam offline. The fees charged for CSCP for non-members are USD 965.
Certified Scrum Master
Today, this is one of the best certifications that jobs demand. As most of the management people must be aware that scrum is a project management technique that is followed widely. To achieve the CSM certificate, a candidate must clear an exam by answering 24 questions correctly out of a total of 35. Taking up the course is somewhat between USD 1295- USD 1995 and writing the exam is USD 500.
Professional in Project Management
Accredited by GAQM, this professional certification covers topics such as completing, executing, controlling, and planning a project. It takes a total of 40 to 50 hours to complete the course. One needs to sit for an online exam that constitutes 150 MCQ with a time frame of 2 hours. The candidate needs to secure a minimum of 75% in the same. The PPM certificates need to be renewed every 5 years. It takes a total of USD 400 to achieve this certification
Certified Brand Manager
It is the Association of International Product Marketing and Management that helps to become a certified brand manager which is very much in demand these days. Through this certification, a person learns how to maximize the value and equity of a brand and optimization of relationships with customers. A fee of USD 395 is involved to write the exam and a further USD 125 to become an associate member.
SAP Certified Application Associate
SAP stands for Systems, Application, and Projects. SAP is a multinational company with its headquarter in Germany. Anyone who is SAP savvy should go for this certification. This certification identifies the skill of a consultant when it comes to using and understanding SAP-CRM Software, the process of integration with NetWeaver and other SAP solutions. A candidate needs to have previous experience to be eligible for this course. Further training is provided in the certification as well. The total cost involved in getting this certification is USD 571. It is mandatory to sit for an exam that consists of 80 questions.
Apart from the above 6 certifications, there are many more that one can opt for depending on their level and area of interest. Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), PRINCE 2, and Salesforce Certified Administrator are also good options. If a person does not want to invest much money they go through e-learning websites such as edX, course era, Linkedin Learning, and many more. To excel in any management area, one needs to have technical skills as well including MS Office, MS Visio, BPMN standards, and many others. So, it is not necessary to do a business administration certification, but one can learn these technical skills free that would further not only help in management-related job domains but others as well.
