The value of an international certification has increased manifold after recession. Increasingly, professionals are safeguarding their careers and validating their skills through international certifications. It is a benchmark of competence and a leading credential for professionals in today’s competitive world. In the Middle East, international certifications signify an instant passport to a rewarding career, a premium tag that helps professionals to gain self-esteem and professional recognition. It also signals entry into an elite club of internationally certified professionals worldwide. The growth in certification programs is a reaction to the changing employment market. International certifications are portable, since they do not depend on a company's definition of a certain job. At the same time companies keen to hire certified professionals are those that are demonstrating to customers, competitors, suppliers, staff and investors that industry-respected best practices are in use. Hiring managers tend to view certifications as a more objective measure of a candidate’s skill level than self-reported skills and competency. A Microsoft  Learning White Paper titled :  “Connecting Dots Between Employers and Employees”  revealed that the added market value of a certification can be as high as 30%-40%. The average salary uplift reported across all certifications is in the 5%-11% range. Certification stands out from the resume and the professional reference by being an impartial, third-party endorsement of an individual's professional knowledge and experience. Consider this:  Hiring managers from Fortune 500 companies are looking to pay a premium for internationally certified professionals. Eighty-six percent of  hiring managers indicate certifications are a high or medium priority during the candidate evaluation process. Eight in ten HR execs verify certifications among  job candidates. Ninety-one percent of hiring managers consider certification as part of their hiring criteria. Statistics revealed that for each new team member certified, the team performance has increased every time. The more skilled a team, the better the profitability it cab bring to the company. Certifications are earned from a professional society like the International Purchase and Supply Chain Management Institute (IPSCMI), American Purchasing Society (APS), Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), American Certification Institute (ACI), Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), International Quality Federation (IQF) or from IT vendors like SAP, Microsoft or CISCO. Most certification programs are created, sponsored, or affiliated with professional associations, trade organizations, or IT vendors interested in raising the standards of professionalism. (ENDS) Handy Hints

• International certification is a benchmark of professional competence.
• The changing employment market has spawned the need for international certifications.
• Internationally certified professionals can demand  a 30-40 per cent increase in salary.