Certifications and how to improve my resume

You can combine getting a certificate with getting a bachelors. TESU gives you a certificate for 18 credits in your area, and you can still apply them to a degree program:

Thomas Edison State University: Undergraduate Certificates

I haven't analysed them to see how testable they are.

 

I don't see Ashworth on the Straighline list of colleges Partners?
I do see Ashford University on their list.

Ashford University's accreditation is through Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Ashworth accreditation is through DEAC (Distance Education Accrediting Commission)

Is Ashworth just another diploma mill or a real "Properly" accredited College?

 

DEAC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA, so it's legit. However, it's national accreditation. Regional accreditation has wider acceptance. The Big 3 (Thomas Edison State University, Charter Oak State College, and Excelsior College) are regionally accredited and non-profit. Since you can complete a degree with one of them for less than Ashworth and Penn Foster if you test out, I don't see the purpose of choosing Ashworth or Penn Foster.

You can start testing out before you enroll at one of the Big 3. I have test out plans for TESU.

Free Sources of Credit - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia
Sanantone's TESC General Education Options After July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia
Sanantone's TESC BSBA in General Management After July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia
Sanantone's BSBA in Marketing post-July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia
Sanantone's BSBA in Accounting post-July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia
Sanantone's BSBA in Human Resources Management/Organizational Management post-July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia
Sanantone's BSBA in Computer Information Systems post-July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia

Their certificates have a 50% residency requirement. You can use TECEPs (credit by exam) to meet the residency requirement, but I haven't found enough to allow you to complete test out of their certificates.

I'd also like to point out that there is a difference between earning a certification, certificate of completion, and completing a certificate program at a college.

 

If your employer has a Skillsoft account, you can take courses that some schools will accept for credit.

 

I wasn't referring to Ashworth. I was referring to completing your degree through one of the three assessment schools. These schools include Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State University, or Charter Oak State College.

 

edit- I decided not to comment

 

You have a goodly number of certifications. So, for starters, there is a potential for receiving credit through a PLA.

You can do some good work testing out of things. And there are others here who know that world a lot better than I do, so I will yield to their expertise.

One path you might consider is an associate degree through Penn Foster (DEAC), which costs between $1,100 (payment in full) and $1,400 (monthly payments) per semester. So, four semesters, knock out an A.S.

If you choose a program that has ACE recommendations (accounting is one program that is pretty heavy on ACE recommendations) then you can flip those to one of the Big Three as well.

Testing, credit for your current certifications and transfer of ACE recommended credit? That might bring you pretty close to a bachelors.

At a minimum, you'll have an associate degree with a stack of certifications. In the manufacturing world, I'd rather tackle the job market with an associate degree than without any degree at all.

 

You know I'm gonna come down in the go get your degree camp. I eventually bit the bullet and went all the way through an MBA before my jobs started catching up with my ability.

All the certifications in the world aren't likely to move the needle for you if you lack the minimal educational qualifications for a job. I work for a good size healthcare organization, to get to the manager level pretty much requires a Bachelors degree, to step beyond manager absolutely requires a Masters. You can be an absolutely gifted nurse and never rise over shift manager if you lack that pedigree...just the way it is. It sounds to me like your well known and appreciated at work, perhaps with the right combination of education and mentor-ship you could bust through to the next level. I would look for a senior person at your work and go ask them whats holding you back, find out from them if the degree is the thing holding you back...you have plenty of certs and years of experience, another cert is unlikely to do anything for you IMHO. Get a senior leader to help you, mentor you, let them know what your goals are...I think that above all else is key. If it is the degree that you need, I'm here to tell you it is doable. I wrote many a college paper while sitting on a street corner in an ambulance waiting for the next call, often I sat there and read or typed while my partner caught a much needed nap. Point is to find a way...

Know to that when folks here talk about finishing a degree it's sort of a given that we have creative solutions to make that happen. The Big three, Charter Oak State, Thomas Edison State, and Excelsior offer opportunities to complete a degree that much of the general population simply isn't aware of. You can finish a degree at Thomas Edison for under $3500 TOTAL and with never setting foot in a traditional classroom.

 

I work in HR in a (mostly) manufacturing environment. And when I'm hiring production supervisors and managers, this comes up and it comes up frequently.

I don't know what level you work at. And I don't know what the requirements are for employers in your area. I also don't know where you are in you career. The needs of someone in your position at 30 differ greatly from a person in the same job at 55.

Certifications and experience may very well keep you employed in manufacturing. But they may not keep you employed at the same level. I recall a former employee who had risen to the level of plant superintendent at a competing company. He was number two in the building. And when they shut down he came to work for us and we put him in the only place where his qualifications matched; as a front line supervisor making around 1/3 of what he made as the top dog. Had he come to us with a bachelors degree (or even an associate degree) we might have made him, at least, a department manager at that time. But he didn't so we couldn't.

If you're operating off of the expectation that a bachelors degree is going to require you to incur $60k in debt then you're operating off of a bad assumption. If you want to spend that much (or more) you absolutely can. But a degree can be had for much less.

You came here seeking advice on certifications. But we aren't "CertificationInfo.com." So you must have expected that we would be pushing a "finish your degree" sort of narrative. So, if you are really anti-degree then do what you do. You've come this far on your own, why can't you go a little further?

But we're telling you that you can probably knock through a degree for a fraction of what you've stated you cannot afford and without any more time investment than you would spend on the next round of certs.

So, just let it mull around and think about how it would look. The Big Three should be your first stop. But, honestly, if I had to choose between an NA degree and no degree at all, I'd choose an NA degree (like Ashworth or Penn Foster). But I don't think you need to even put yourself into that tight of a spot. I (and others) know you can earn a degree at a regionally accredited school through testing, PLA or a combination of the two.

 

No, you're right, we aren't. But we could be. I'd change it to CertInfo.com though. Or maybe Certs-r-us.com or maybe . . .:hijacked:

 

Because..... dollar for dollar, effort for effort, and return on investment, the degree wins.

 

Well, that was kinda my point earlier but you said it better than me. I mean you're paying the money, studying material, taking a test, really not that different than being in a degree program. Now if you just want to collect certs that's OK but at some point you're collecting certs that don't really have a lot of relevance to your job. Like that guy who has 20 Associates degrees. At a certain point it's just a little silly, isn't it? If you can't think of the certs that you actually need but are trolling around trying to collect certs just because they exist, I'd say that your efforts would be better spent in a degree program. But that's just me. I have a million welding certs. I don't even think about them anymore. They don't mean much once you've got 100 or so.

 

I met an applicant with five associate degrees once. He was ticked at Target (a former employer) because they refused to hire him as a manager (requires a bachelors). I asked him why he didn't just get a bachelor's degree. His answer?

"I don't have time to go school."

Certifications, generally speaking, work well when paired with a degree not when they are trying to replace a degree.

But there are certifications that really do yield a strong ROI. And there are some certifications I would recommend a person with a bachelors earn before they go for a Masters.

Honestly, though, there is very little that is more irritating than a resume with a half-page dedicated to a seemingly never ending list of certifications. You might as well print it on neon paper so I can fast track it into the circular file.

 

Thank you for your reply and thanks to everyone.
After reading this post, I have realized that you are right. I need and want a degree.
The one regret I have in life is dropping out of college when I was 19 to start working at my current company. I am a manager at my company, been there 26 years. But, I am a little concerned that one day this company won't be around. I was trying to give my resume a little boost by the certifications, but everyone is correct, a degree will go a long way. After reading your post about the plant superintendent who came to you for a job with no degree, hit home and I can relate to the guy and his situation.
I am 47, probably a little late in life to think about college, but I still have Several years of work to go. I really enjoyed studying the course work and test that was required of the certifications. But, I wasn't pressed to finish on a certain time and didn't have to worry about having a paper due on a certain date, like when I was in college years ago.
So...... I have a few more stupid questions.
I know there are colleges that let you work at your own pace, like Ashworth and Penn Foster. My problem is, I work in the automotive industry, and work 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day,,, No joke. So I will need to attend a college that is a "Work at your own Pace" type school.
Can you tell me if there are any schools out there that are "Work at your Own Pace" or is Ashworth and Penn Foster the only choices. If they are the only choices which one would you recommend? Ash or Penn?
I really do appreciate all your help and helping me open my eyes as to what's best!
Thank you,

 

Half of his degrees are in the same thing. He has multiple criminal justice and business degrees with various concentrations, but I think it's clear that he has a mental illness.

A lot of certs are expensive, including the PMP. Three $400 or $500 certs equal an associate's degree at TESU.

 

68 you got to listen to this advice. It is free and it is coming from an HR professional. You are almost there to your degree. Plus you do find the time for certifications which may be even more time consuming. You can do both degree and certifications concurrently.

 

Well, for starters, you just revealed an interesting tidbit. So you do have some college under you belt it seems. It sounds like the credits are old (no offense). But if the grades are above a C (are they?) you might be able to transfer those to one of the Big Three. Certain courses cannot be transferred after after so many years, others can, it depends upon what courses you took.

Virtually any school accredited by DEAC is going to be "self-paced." However, if you are working 12 hours per day seven days per week, self paced can end up costing a fortune depending upon the tuition model your school uses. Schools like Ashworth and PennFoster have you pay be the semester and you generally have a year to finish it. So, hard to really lose money there. The regionally accredited alternatives (which are self paced) are the competency learning programs where you pay a subscription fee. Terms last anywhere from 3-12 months and you pay a flat fee and he idea is to complete as many courses as you can in one term. With a very busy schedule, it can be hard to cram all of that in.

But I think you're missing what we are suggesting here. If you went to say, TESU, and transferred in your credits from your college days, had them evaluate all of your certifications through Prior Learning Assessment and tested out of a number of credits, you might not need to take very many "classes" at all. It may be possible to finish entirely by testing, in some cases. Testing out is the ultimate in self-paced learning because it's very similar to certification testing; read the book, take the test and get credit if you pass.

 

I found myself as a bit of an advocate for Ashworth, since I help a friend who is a graduate. There's nothing wrong with having a degree from there, or from similar school Penn Foster.

Having said that, both schools are nationally rather than regionally accredited. This means both degrees will have real acceptance challenges in the future. If you know the exact scenario where your degree will be used and can research acceptance beforehand, all is well. Similarly if you work for yourself, and the degree is just a wall decoration and confidence booster. I do not see you fitting in either of the two scenarios; NA degree may suffice for your future needs, but it also may not.

On the other hand, there was never a better time for getting a generic degree through testing or alternative means from one of the Big Three. There are tons of cheap credit sources like Saylor Foundation, ALEX, and Straighterline, in addition to the credit-by-exam providers, old and new. With your background, certifications and old college credits you seem like the perfect candidate for one of such degrees. I see no reason not to choose say TESU over both Ashworth and Penn Foster, in your particular case. You'll have security of earning a degree from RA, public institution for very similar amount of money and effort, if a bit less handholding.

You can post your existing credits here (or at that other forum, which specializes on the CBE process at Big Three), and someone will be able to give you specific advice on which tests or courses to choose.

 

you're young. Lots of us here are your age or older.
That said, 3 years from now you'll be a 50 year old with a degree or a 50 year old without a degree.

It is still my opinion, stated earlier in this thread, that using CLEP exams right now is the most self-study friendly, and the cost is unbeatable. You can test out of a 3 credit class for $80. Even at Penn Foster you can't beat that price (and Penn Foster isn't regionally accredited, so there isn't much going for that company).

The tests are multiple choice, pass fail. You need to pass roughly half to get the credit. I'm sure you think that 100 level business classes must be exceptionally sophisticated because it's college and all......but if you decide to do it, you'll first curse yourself for not doing it sooner, second you'll ask what the big flippin deal is because these classes aren't nearly hard enough to have been your brick wall all these years, and third (hopefully) your fire will be lit and you'll power through.