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Posted 10 Mar 2020 by Nancy Tandy, Business Strategy Manager, Worldwide Learning
Women face hiring and promotion challenges across all industries, and the world of business is no exception. Although opinions may differ about what those challenges are and why they exist, most people recognize that intentionally taking steps—at any phase in your career—to demonstrate your qualifications and skills can help give you the edge you need and increase your odds for success. That’s where certification comes in. Whether you’re starting out in your career, switching to business from another field, or aiming for a promotion, certification can help differentiate you in the highly competitive market.
Microsoft Certification prepares you for tech roles and a whole lot more
Experience is great, and combining it with the right education can help convince your boss you’re the right person for that position within the company or prove to hiring managers that you’re the best fit to fill that job opening. Becoming certified as a business apps consultant, developer, or solution architect can verify your skills to employers. It’s always difficult to compete, and with women holding only 25 to 26 percent of professional computing jobs, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology, certification can help get you noticed. Get certified in Dynamics 365 Fundamentals, for example, or as a Power Apps + Dynamics 365 Developer Associate or a Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect Expert, and see what opportunities come your way. The need for people who are skilled in implementing and optimizing Dynamics 365 is great right now, so getting certified in Dynamics 365 can help give you an edge. Explore all Dynamics 365 certifications.
Sure, we need more women working in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI. But we need more certified tech-savvy women in business, too. Non-IT or non-technical jobs actually make up the majority of jobs that require technical skills. In today’s world of big data and business intelligence, for example, business roles like data scientists, marketers, and sales managers, in addition to customer service, field work, and finance and operations consultants, all need these technical skills. Microsoft Certification, which is role based, is designed to help you acquire the skills needed in these roles and to demonstrate your mastery of them. Your certification in Microsoft Dynamics 365 can show employers your skills using the latest technology for sales, marketing, finance and operations, and more.
Additional advantages are that you can work toward Microsoft Certification at your own pace and complete it on your own schedule.
How certification benefits women
Microsoft Certification can support your career goals in many ways. In fact, certification can:
- Help you set high goals, plan your path, and take action. Many business and tech organizations that advise women on how to succeed emphasize setting high goals and then making a plan and taking steps to realize those goals. After you determine the role you want to be certified in, Microsoft Learn identifies the Dynamics 365 skill set you need and lays out a clear educational path to acquire those skills. That’s a lot more effective for achieving your goals than cobbling together a hit-or-miss plan. Explore learning paths for Dynamics 365.
- Enable you to acquire the right tools to differentiate yourself. Whether you want to become a marketing functional consultant, a sales functional consultant, a supply chain management functional consultant, or a finance functional consultant, the educational resources at Microsoft Learn make it simple to learn exactly what you need to do.
- Verify your skills. Employers look for experience, but they also want to know whether a person can actually perform the tasks required for role they’re seeking. When you’re certified as a Dynamics 365 Customer Service Functional Consultant, for example, you’ll have demonstrated skills in planning and analysis, managing UX design, implementing security, configuring the voice of the customer, and managing cases, entitlements, and SLAs, among other significant tasks.
- Help you develop your career and take on leadership. Successful women see challenges as opportunities, not roadblocks. And challenges usually require new skills. You can get these skills by becoming certified. Acquiring a new set of skills or a higher level of expertise can help you identify new opportunities to ready your organization to get ahead and set you up to lead new projects. Your Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Apps Developer Associate certification, for example, or your Power Apps + Dynamics 365 Solution Architect Expert certification lets employers know just how capable you are.
- Boost your confidence. Women often underestimate their skills when applying for jobs or promotions. Why? Frequently, it’s their confidence level. One study on the challenges of women in tech showed that female computer scientists with eight years of programming experience were as confident in their skills as their male peers with zero to one year of programming experience. An applicant’s confidence often influences the outcome of an interview. Successful women in tech advise: Focus on what you know, not on what you don’t know, when presenting yourself for hire, for projects, or for promotion. Achieving industry-recognized certification in the role you’re seeking can show what you know and give you the confidence you need to shine.
Listen to a Women Talk Tech podcast that describes how one woman-owned company attracts professionals by offering free access to online Microsoft Dynamics 365 training and resources, which help the consultants keep their skills and certifications up to date. Explore more Women Talk Tech podcasts, such as “Be Bold,” by Cathy Tracey, a global sales director for Dynamics 365 with over 25 years of experience in sales and sales leadership.