Comments on: Phony virtual assistant certifications? http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/phony-virtual-assistant-certifications/ The Virtual Assistant Success Blog Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:23:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: April http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/phony-virtual-assistant-certifications/#comment-277 April Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:24:01 +0000 http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/?p=89#comment-277 Tia, I totally agree and I'm glad you addressed this topic. I have thought about seeking certification but I'm just not sure its worth the money when all it really does is give you a little graphic to put on your website showing that you have satisfied a certain organizations criteria. Having said that, I am in the process of setting up a certification program through NAVLA.org - National Association of Virtual Legal Assistants. I plan on presenting the qualifications for the certification on the website itself so that potential VLA clients will know exactly what skills a VLA has and what they've done to earn that certification. Hopefully that will give clients a better idea of the VLAs qualifications. In designing the program, I'll be working with experienced VLAs as well as attorneys to set a standard for what it means to be a certified VLA. For anyone considering certification, I'd suggest doing your research and weighing the value of it against the cost. Until there is some kind of regulation of the VA industry, it will be up to us to set those standards. Tia,

I totally agree and I’m glad you addressed this topic. I have thought about seeking certification but I’m just not sure its worth the money when all it really does is give you a little graphic to put on your website showing that you have satisfied a certain organizations criteria.

Having said that, I am in the process of setting up a certification program through NAVLA.org - National Association of Virtual Legal Assistants.

I plan on presenting the qualifications for the certification on the website itself so that potential VLA clients will know exactly what skills a VLA has and what they’ve done to earn that certification. Hopefully that will give clients a better idea of the VLAs qualifications.

In designing the program, I’ll be working with experienced VLAs as well as attorneys to set a standard for what it means to be a certified VLA.

For anyone considering certification, I’d suggest doing your research and weighing the value of it against the cost. Until there is some kind of regulation of the VA industry, it will be up to us to set those standards.

]]> By: Kimberly http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/phony-virtual-assistant-certifications/#comment-259 Kimberly Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:56:00 +0000 http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/?p=89#comment-259 Hear. Hear. I was just pondering the whole VA Certification thing yesterday. Not whether or not it was real, but whether or not I should pursue it. Of course, as you probably know, there are some certifications out there that do hold some weight in our industry...but I don't know that it means that I have to have one in order to be considered legitimate. And I was glad to hear that you've never been asked about have the "requisite" prior admin experience in order to be good at what you do. Thanks for bringing this up. I think it is perhaps just the tip of the iceberg about an industry that is exploding exponentially. Hear. Hear. I was just pondering the whole VA Certification thing yesterday. Not whether or not it was real, but whether or not I should pursue it. Of course, as you probably know, there are some certifications out there that do hold some weight in our industry…but I don’t know that it means that I have to have one in order to be considered legitimate.

And I was glad to hear that you’ve never been asked about have the “requisite” prior admin experience in order to be good at what you do.

Thanks for bringing this up. I think it is perhaps just the tip of the iceberg about an industry that is exploding exponentially.

]]> By: Tia http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/phony-virtual-assistant-certifications/#comment-258 Tia Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:12:51 +0000 http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/?p=89#comment-258 Xan, that's a great point. I'll really have to chew on that one a little bit because part of me knows that you're right and the other part of me still wants to say "but, but, but..." :-) The truth is that you are 100% correct and I just need to suck it up and admit it. Craig, thanks for the response. You know that I have the utmost respect for VAClassroom and I look forward to seeing what comes of your new training & certification programs! Heather and Blessing, thanks so much for your comments! It's really great to get lots of feedback, particularly from VAs, on this subject. *Tia* Xan,

that’s a great point. I’ll really have to chew on that one a little bit because part of me knows that you’re right and the other part of me still wants to say “but, but, but…” :-) The truth is that you are 100% correct and I just need to suck it up and admit it.

Craig,

thanks for the response. You know that I have the utmost respect for VAClassroom and I look forward to seeing what comes of your new training & certification programs!

Heather and Blessing,

thanks so much for your comments! It’s really great to get lots of feedback, particularly from VAs, on this subject.

*Tia*

]]> By: Xan http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/phony-virtual-assistant-certifications/#comment-257 Xan Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:50:13 +0000 http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/?p=89#comment-257 As a former personal trainer, there were a wide variety of certifications for personal trainers as well. I don't think there are any "phony" certifications - when it comes down to it, a certification is a piece of paper. What ultimately drives the value of a certification are the employers and the consumers. They set the value. To answer your question, yes, you could develop an All-American Admin Certification. It would then be up to you to market your certification - you would have to convince employers and consumers that holders of your Certificate uphold a certain standard of excellence. If you don't convince them, your certification holds no value. In the personal training field, there are 2-3 certifications that hold any weight. The rest are not taken seriously. As a former personal trainer, there were a wide variety of certifications for personal trainers as well. I don’t think there are any “phony” certifications - when it comes down to it, a certification is a piece of paper. What ultimately drives the value of a certification are the employers and the consumers. They set the value. To answer your question, yes, you could develop an All-American Admin Certification. It would then be up to you to market your certification - you would have to convince employers and consumers that holders of your Certificate uphold a certain standard of excellence. If you don’t convince them, your certification holds no value.

In the personal training field, there are 2-3 certifications that hold any weight. The rest are not taken seriously.

]]> By: Heather McMillan http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/phony-virtual-assistant-certifications/#comment-256 Heather McMillan Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:48:18 +0000 http://blog.allamericanadmin.com/?p=89#comment-256 Excellent post! I provide training and coaching programs for prospective virtual assistants and established ones that are struggling, but I am completely anti-VA Certification. My training programs are used to educate people on the back-end of running a VA business from your home and have nothing to do with representation of my program to the VA's client(s). I will never offer a certification for anything that doesn't involve improving or gaining marketable skills to a VA's clients. Anyone can slap a certification up (and more are doing it every day), and it means absolutely nothing. Not to mention most of the certification programs, like my own training programs, only train you to run your VA business. They (and I) don't offer a VA's clients or prospective clients any real clue whether or not the VA in the program has the skills to do what they need the VA to do. The skills sell, the certification is fluff for the VA. I personally can do without fluff, as I just seek knowledge. I do agree that you should have some type of experience in SOMETHING (maybe not necessarily admin only), because you do need to have the skills to market. Having no skills is akin to having no products for sale in your B&M shop...pretty pointless. Excellent post! I provide training and coaching programs for prospective virtual assistants and established ones that are struggling, but I am completely anti-VA Certification.

My training programs are used to educate people on the back-end of running a VA business from your home and have nothing to do with representation of my program to the VA’s client(s). I will never offer a certification for anything that doesn’t involve improving or gaining marketable skills to a VA’s clients.

Anyone can slap a certification up (and more are doing it every day), and it means absolutely nothing. Not to mention most of the certification programs, like my own training programs, only train you to run your VA business. They (and I) don’t offer a VA’s clients or prospective clients any real clue whether or not the VA in the program has the skills to do what they need the VA to do.

The skills sell, the certification is fluff for the VA. I personally can do without fluff, as I just seek knowledge.

I do agree that you should have some type of experience in SOMETHING (maybe not necessarily admin only), because you do need to have the skills to market. Having no skills is akin to having no products for sale in your B&M shop…pretty pointless.

]]>