Member Spotlight: Confidence in Credit

Confidence is intrinsic to leadership and professional growth. Though confidence is not considered a fixed characteristic, it can be both acquired and improved over time through different experiences. As a credit professional, confidence is key. Whether it's needed to make sound credit decisions or build customer relationships—confidence shows dedication to expertise in the profession.

NACM's Professional Certification Program gives credit professionals the building blocks needed to reach their full potential. With six levels of certification, credit professionals can showcase their knowledge in their day-to-day lives. "Being in a new role and the only designated credit professional in our organization, going through the CBA requirements provided me with much more confidence in my decisions," said Kimberly Doss, CBA, senior credit analyst at United Capital Funding Group (Saint Petersburg, FL). "It was very gratifying every time I passed a quiz knowing I was mastering material that would greatly benefit me professionally."

The Credit Business Associate (CBA) is an academic-based designation which signals mastery of three business credit related disciplines: basic financial accounting, business credit principles and introductory financial statement analysis. Doss said accounting was challenging for her to learn. "Carving out time for the requirements while working full time was also a challenge, but it feels great to accomplish earning my CBA," she said. "I feel much more prepared and knowledgeable in my role, and I feel it gives me more clout in the industry as well. Earning a designation is a great accomplishment. It's worth the time and commitment to showcase your knowledge. I'm definitely earning additional designations in the future!"

💡Study Tip: Work on a small chunk of the material each day so you don't get overwhelmed with all the information at once.

For more information about each designation within NACM's Professional Certification Program, visit our website.