Member Spotlight: Reaching Goals Against the Odds

NACM's Professional Certification Program provides credit professionals with an important tool to gain a fresh outlook on the traditional role of credit—education. And what better way to progress in your career than to challenge yourself through learning?

With six different levels, the certification program dives into deeper understandings of credit tailored to your needs. The first level is the Credit Business Associate (CBA)—an academic-based designation which signals mastery of three business credit related disciplines: basic financial accounting, business credit principles and introductory financial statement analysis.

Jessica Kempton, CBA, junior credit analyst at PNW Railcars (Portland, OR), said the CBA piqued her interest because she wanted to learn more about her new role. "I told my boss about my desire to obtain more official credit training with the junior credit analyst role she promoted me into and from there the idea took off," Kempton said. "The coursework was rigorous, interesting and somehow felt more like a friend passing on their hard-earned knowledge gained from years of experience rather than a dry lecture series."

Kempton considered earning her CBA even while six months pregnant. "I was pleasantly surprised by all the options for working moms available and chose the online, self-study program as I knew I could reasonably complete that with the flexibility it offered," she said. "The process getting to the end was clearly communicated and seamless thanks to the competent and knowledgeable NACM staff."

Kempton persevered with staying disciplined and studying. "It's helpful to have some work history in A/R or credit to gain perspective on the process and some accounting courses under your belt," Kempton said. "Overall, it feels great to have base knowledge in credit as it's been invaluable in supporting my work family. I am planning on completing the Certified Credit and Risk Analyst (CCRA) in June!"

💡Study Tip: Carve out regular time to study and stick with it. The courseload may seem like a lot at first but is very manageable in chunks. "Give yourself time to soak it all in, a little every day. Also, start applying it to your work right away. The process of applying the coursework to a direct example is a phenomenal way to study."

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