Member Spotlight: Reach New Heights with Certifications
Seeking and acquiring knowledge is fundamental for any professional. It is what propels us forward in our careers. By earning designations through NACM's Professional Certification Program, credit professionals are not only educating themselves on various credit management disciplines, but they are gaining the necessary skills to become a master in their field.
Melissa Parsons, CBA, regional credit manager at Forest Lumber Company (Oklahoma City, OK) just earned her Credit Business Associate (CBA) designation to gain the appropriate knowledge to move forward in her credit career. "I've only been in credit for about four years so I'm trying to get as much education and learn as much as I can to help further my career and excel at my job," she said.
Parsons prepared herself by already taking Basic Financial Accounting, a form of the required courses for the CBA in college. "Meanwhile, I took the other required courses, Business Credit Principles and the Financial Statement Analysis 1 through the NACM Professional Certification Program to earn the designation."
After successfully earning her CBA, Parson is more knowledgeable about the intricacies in B2B credit management that she wouldn't have been able to learn anywhere else. "The Financial Statement Analysis was especially helpful to prepare me in how to interpret and analyze the different financial documents we get before extending credit to a customer," she said. "Although my company does not do international sales, it was helpful to learn about international credit management and risk in Business Credit Principles."
Parsons' only challenge was juggling work, school and being a parent as she completed the courses for her designation. But her determination is what pushed her to succeed. "I'm really proud of my CBA designation and I'm glad that I took the time and energy to earn my designation despite the challenges."
For more information about each designation within NACM's Professional Certification Program, visit our website.
