Top Certifications for MBA Students and Professionals

MBA Degree is one of the most sought after degree for many job roles and functions. But constant and specialized learning is what is required at all times in one's career. There are many certifications which can be taken along with MBA or during job. These certifications not only add value to your resume but also make you a better professional and can really boost your career. 

Here is a list of few certifications which can be undertaken. The specialization is also mentioned.

1. CFA:

Chartered Financial Analyst certificate is the golden key to the world of finance in hedge funds, equity research and asset management .This globally recognized program is orchestrated to provide charter holders with specialized skills, such as portfolio strategy, investment analysis, and asset allocation. It comprises of 3 levels. A bachelor's degree is a pre requisite to take the annually held exam. However, students can appear for level 1 in the final year of their graduation. Even after completing all the levels, 4 years of relevant work experience is mandatory for a person to write CFA after his name. Further, the pass rate is below 50% and the study material is designed for 300 hours. So why would anyone take so much pain? Of course, the biggest reason is CFAs are paid handsomely compared to their non certified peers since passing the exam proves that they have the stipulated level of knowledge and self study demanded by the course ensures that they are hard working.

Specialization: Finance

2. Six Sigma Certification:

This test is essentially a quality assurance test in terms of the employees. It is the highly touted practice by Jack Welch, former CEO of GE.  The certificate envelops areas which require problem solving at various levels .It encompasses learning of the stipulated course content through training, written proficiency exam and its application. This certificate is awarded by various companies for their employees as well as by institutes for individuals. The content is specific to each company. The program is spread across six levels - Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt, White belt and Orange belt. However the nomenclature may vary across companies. Same is the case with the training duration and fees. A six sigma certification on your resume makes you stand out of the crowd. It prepares you for the leadership roles and hence improves your job opportunities and salary prospects. New avenues in the upper management can be unlocked by this key. Sometimes the certificate by one organization is recognized by others as well. Hence it improves your chances of working with your desired employer.

Specialization: Marketing and Operations.

3. APICS:

Want to be a global supply chain or inventory specialist? Want to master the tools of ERP, procurement and material management? Here’s the golden goose for you. The American Production and Inventory Control Society is a not for profit organization. It offers training tools, certification programs and networking opportunities to enhance workplace performance. APICS offers several globally accepted professional designations: APICS CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management), APICS CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) and APICS CFPIM (Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management). These programs stipulate different criteria for an ideal candidate based on his qualification and years of work experience. Being certified from APICS makes one a highly coveted employee, especially by the operations oriented organizations.

Specialization: Operations.

4. Financial Risk Management:

If you aspire to be a juggler of risks in the financial markets FRM certification is the best tool to master the trick. It is the most coveted qualification for the professionals in risk management, specifically those involved in controlling, analyzing or assessing potential market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk as well as non-market related financial risks. The FRM program is offered by Global Association of Risk Professional and is internationally recognized. The functions related to FRM holders are mainly related to risk management within asset management firms, investment banks, as well as in corporations and government agencies. Here is the tempting part. Top employers recruiting FRM holders include global financial services firms HSBC, Deutsche Bank, UBS, as well as auditing firms like KPMG, Ernst & Young (EY) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In order to acquire the certificate, the candidate must complete the two-part, application based examination and demonstrate two years of professional work experience in financial risk management.

Specialization: Finance

5. SHRM:

It is a learning assurance course for students graduating from HR stream. It universally certifies fresh graduates of having acquired some basic knowledge in this field, based on the guidelines set by The Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) Assurance of Learning®. The employers are assured that the student has taken additional steps to ensure his degree, complemented with the Certificate of Learning Achievement. The written examination covers 18 separate areas of HR. Three thirty day windows are available for attempting the exam throughout the world. SHRM certifications on their resume make candidates preferred by the employers over others due to the extra mile they have gone.

Specialization: Human Resources

6. CCR:

CCR (Confluence Certified Recruiter) is designed for individuals who seek a career in recruitment. The course is aimed at providing a practical guidance to individuals seeking to prepare themselves for a career in recruitments. However this course itself is not sufficient but is beneficial to those who have either graduated / post graduated in Human Resources Management or a relevant work experience in this field. The course can also be undertaken by recruitment agents in order to boost their careers with a specialized qualification and professional recruiters. The certification gives an extra edge to its holder over others, in order to become an influential recruiter. Major competencies developed after the undertaking of the course are designing of the job criteria, identification of potential sources for candidates, designing of the selection process and evaluation of selection tools.

The course is bifurcated into two levels, viz Certified course in basic recruitment and Certified course in advanced recruitment. The course duration is between 15 to 30 days and is quite economical compared to its benefits, apart from holding a global recognition.

Specialization: Human Resources

7. SAP:

SAP is a recognized name in business solutions and software. It offers a wide range of certifications with international acceptance. Most popular among them are SAP Business Intelligence (SAP BI) , SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (SAP BPC),SAP FI (for Financial Accounting) ,SAP HR Human Capital Management (SAP HR HCM),  SAP Material Management (SAP MM) and SAP Sales and Distribution (SAP SD) certifications. These certifications are designed in consonance with their ERP systems. There is a high potential and growing international job market for people with the knowledge of configuration and implementation of ERP systems. Further, there are options like self learning from SAP books, third party training and hands on learning. However, only those certificates are recognized which are passed at SAP Education facilities. The course duration and fees vary with the courses.

Specialization: All

8. NET

For an inclination towards lectureship or teaching profession, it is strongly recommended to clear National Entrance Test .The prime motto is to ensure minimum standards for college and university level lectureship and awarding of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for Indian nationals. The exam is conducted by University Grants Commission (UGC) and is nationally recognized. The score is accepted across all the universities and institutions throughout India. The biggest attraction of holding a good score in NET is that such candidates are eligible for lucrative jobs in the public sector undertakings (PSUs), as announced by UGC in 2013. UGC-NET scores are important criteria for the recruitment process of the executive posts in various organizations in disciplines like management, science (Research & Development), corporate communications, finance, human resources, etc. A candidate can appear in the exam for his subject of specialization only after completion of his Master’s degree or an equivalent course or in the final year of his Post Graduation. There are certain eligibility criteria regarding scores and subjects.

Specialization: All

9. BAT

Bloomberg Aptitude Test is an examination conducted worldwide in order to evaluate the employability of candidates by various financial employers and institutions. It is conducted by Bloomberg Institute every year. The primary objective of the exam is to provide a global platform for employers to access a pool of potential employees with a prior score assigned, based on the test. The test is designed in partnership with premier university faculties and financial institutions around the world, based on their requirements and evaluation criteria. The test covers a wide range of domains like business, finance, career and personal competencies and helps students to recognize their strengths and gain insight into their suitability for careers in finance and business. The students can enter their scores anonymously into the BAT Talent Search tool used by employers to identify candidates suitable for entry-level roles in business. The student profiles are available for the employers to be viewed anonymously and they can elect and contact students with appealing profiles. The BAT can be taken on university campuses through the Bloomberg Ambassador program or individually at the centers. First attempt for BAT is free of charge.

Specialization: Open to all but recommended for Finance graduates.

10. Spin Selling

One of the most strategic as well as demanding area in business is sales. Though there are a lot of sources for the theoretical knowledge of sales techniques, a practical and on the field approach is offered by the Spin Selling course. It is developed by Huthwaite, an MHI global company.

SPIN® 2.0 is a practical, hands-on program. The course is offered worldwide and is based on the latest sales techniques in the market.  The program enhances skill development necessary for selling as well as equips the candidates with the tools for ongoing reinforcement. The program is based on today’s best-validated models for selling. It has been orchestrated to improve the speed of salespeople, to teach them to uncover implied needs of customers, identify sales opportunities and tap them, present offerings with high impact, differentiation in the commodity environment, win business without discounting and to make credible sales calls at senior executive level. The program is more of a learning opportunity than a mere ornament to decorate your resume.

Specialization: Marketing and Sales.