Professional certifications boost career growth and confidence 

Earning a designation through one of NACM’s and FCIB’s six professional designation programs is not only an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the credit field, but a means to boost your career with newfound creditability. 

For Tim McMillin, CBA, senior credit manager at Archer Daniels Midland Company (Decatur, IL), earning his Credit Business Associate (CBA) designation was an opportunity to challenge himself as a credit professional.  

“In my previous roles I had attained several certifications and had been looking into which would make the most sense in my senior credit manager role,” McMillin said. “I’ve always considered them a good way to validate an individual’s knowledge of an area and gain additional credibility.” 

Completing a certification course and earning a designation is empowering for all credit managers, whether their career has spanned decades or only a matter of months. For McMillin, the certification program taught him to trust his gut, even when an exam question seems a little tricky, and rely on his own experience.  

“I think the biggest thing I learned was not to question myself as much,” McMillin said. “There are a lot of core concepts in the classes that all of us experience in our day-to-day lives, which provided me with a boost of confidence and creative solutions.” 

📝Study Tip: “Do your best to break the material out over an extended period; don’t wait until the last minute to start studying,” McMillin said. “Doing a little bit every day will have great impacts on your work-life balance and mental health.”