Blog, Member Spotlights
Lead with passion on your certification journey
The journey towards earning a designation is different for everyone. Whether you spread your courses out over a few months or finish it all in a shorter period, earning a designation is a testament to your dedication to learning and understanding the complicated field of credit management. For Lindsey Purks, CBA, credit manager at Carpenter Company (Richmond, VA), earning her Credit Business Associate (CBA) designation was a long but rewarding journey, which instilled a newfound confidence in her work.
The journey towards earning a designation is different for everyone. Whether you spread your courses out over a few months or finish it all in a shorter period, earning a designation is a testament to your dedication to learning and understanding the complicated field of credit management. For Lindsey Purks, CBA, credit manager at Carpenter Company (Richmond, VA), earning her Credit Business Associate (CBA) designation was a long but rewarding journey, which instilled a newfound confidence in her work.
“I started taking the first of the three classes several years ago in 2019, then the pandemic hit in 2020 changing things dramatically in my work and personal life and kind of sidelined any extra education,” Purks said. “I waited to take the remaining two classes a couple years later. This made it take a little longer than it normally would have, but I got it done!”
Purks decided to pursue the designation after she was promoted to the credit management position at her company and was looking to hone her credit skills and knowledge. Working as a credit manager allowed Purks to apply what she learned to her day-to-day work and immerse herself in credit.
“I absorb and learn information better by doing, so my position helped with the course material because I did it every day,” Purks said. “But taking the classes allowed me to apply the scenarios to the actual situations I was facing on the job. It helped put the course material in context for me.”
While the journey was long, Purks’s commitment to learning more about credit and building her analytical skills shone through when she passed her exam and earned her designation.
Study Tip : “Flashcards were a must when taking the actual classes,” Purks said. “The practice tests, CBA review course and the extra videos provided in the resource section of NACM website were also very helpful!”