POWERING WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE
18 JUNE, 2018
KATE CALDER REVEALS HER CREDENTIALLING JOURNEY
Passionate about optimising customer experience through leveraging digital advancement, Kate Calder’s expertise encompasses CRM implementation, marketing automation, website development, content strategies, and campaign development. Her two-decade career includes multiple stints in business development and talent management, with Kate currently holding the position of Manager of Support Services at Deakin University’s Cloud Campus.
Kate cannot wait to share with us her first-hand experience. The two credentials Kate completed are Information Technology Professional Expertise – Breadth, and Teamwork (Advanced).
“When I first started, I sought some help and advice from a contact who had already done a credential because it was a new learning approach for me. After that I was on a roll and subsequently have completed five Professional Practice credentials.” Kate couldn’t stress more how much her confidence was further bolstered when the skills she was armed with were officially recognised and validated: “I have tons of current skills but they were previously not recognised.”
When asked about motivation, Kate had three things to say: Firstly, she told us that the process of completing the assessments is like a personal stocktake in a professional sense, which helped her to realise some of her most hidden skills. Secondly, Kate claimed having really current certifications ensures her skills are up-to-date, which is a must if she wants to stay competitive in the workplace. Lastly, being able to demonstrate behavioural capability is another motivator for her. “This proactive self-development experience truly reinforced my execution capability. Managers nowadays should ignore this at their own peril,” Kate suggested.
“Constantly up-skilling is critical to career growth and it’s equally if not more important to unearth and evidence the skills you already have, especially soft skills. Problem solving for instance is a skill that is highly sought after, but this type of key soft skill still needs underpinning by strong evidence. This is how you can prove you’re good at problem solving. The micro-credentialing experience officially demonstrated skills I had developed over many years on the job.”
As a result, Kate even pursued a career change and referenced her newly awarded credentials in the job interview.
“I know many colleagues of mine really like the idea of micro-credentialing while some are just wedded to traditional learning. But isn’t being passionate and curious about new approaches a prerequisite for continuous learning and development?” To remain relevant, Kate concluded that she would absolutely consider doing another Professional Practice credential.
