I am in sales and contemplating an Executive Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. It is completed online and both convenient and relevant to my position. Although I have been in Sales for 5+ years, I have never had any formal education in Sales, Marketing, Business etc. and happened on the job by accident. I was looking to complete the certificate in order to substantiate some of the experience I have gained as I have no use for a full on Business degree. My question is how are these certificates viewed? Will it hold any sort of value for myself? Thanks for the help!
In my own opinion they have value, the question is, how much. I haven't checked recently but if I remember correctly the price of the Notre Dame cert is pretty high. You could probably find a similar cert for less money. As for whether it will work for you? That's depends on what it is you want it to do.
Any credential can have value. I once got a job that required "knowledge of basic electronics" by showing them my Boy Scouts merit badge card.
Obviously I do not know your background and age but although you may not need a degree today you can't predict the future. If you already have a degree you could earn a second BS degree in business in a relatively short time at minimum cost by enrolling with one of the big three schools and earning credit through CLEP and DSST exams. If you do not have a degree do the same thing except start with an Associates degree. Once earned you will be surprised at how much a degree increases ones self confidence. Regarding certificates I do not believe they carry much weight amongst employers.
