Equipped to succeed: Professional certification transforms career journey

Everyone’s credit career is different, with credit professionals coming from a wide range of backgrounds. Whether you are looking to refine your skills as you enter a new position or looking to build your knowledge on a niche area of credit, continued education through NACM and FCIB’s Professional Certification Programs is a vital tool to credit managers in every corner of the field.   

For Josh Callahan, CICP, credit analyst at POET, LLC (Sioux Falls, SD), earning his Certified International Credit Professional (CICP) designation helped him immerse himself in international credit. “I came from banking which had a lot of crossover, but I had never worked in the credit field until July 2024,” Callahan said. “I was looking for a way to learn about international credit.” 

A professional designation not only grants credit managers a deeper understanding of business credit and risk but instills a new confidence in them. “It feels great to have earned my designation. Switching careers to credit was a big change for me,” Callahan said. “But earning this designation makes me feel equipped to succeed in this field.” 

Pursuing the CICP designation allowed Callahan to develop a deep understanding of international credit laws. “I learned a lot of new things about credit during this course but one of the things that a lot of people in the course seemed to not be aware of was all the laws across the globe about what you are allowed to share in trade references,” Callahan said.  

Professional certification courses allow students to not only learn from the instruction, but from the fellow credit professionals within their courses. “I think my favorite part of the experience was reading everyone’s different perspectives in our discussion posts,” Callahan said. “We had a really diverse group from across the globe and it was great to read about how people in different countries and industries handle scenarios and credit strategies. That kind of experience and exposure is priceless.” 

Study tip: Establishing a solid studying routine can help stay on track. “My study tip is to schedule time every week to study and stick to it,” Callahan said.