Concerned that her asso- ciation eventually will have to eliminate her position, an association professional recently
asked her colleagues how she could get
a leg up on the competition should she
find herself looking for a job. What she
heard, loud and clear, was: Start prepping for the CAE exam.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the
number of open entry-level positions
is expected to grow as the economic
recovery continues. More experienced
professionals, however, still face a very
competitive job market.
In fact, Federal Reserve policymak-ers expect the U.S. economy to grow
as much as 3. 9 percent in 2011, but
remain concerned that the pace of
growth won’t be enough to put a serious
dent in the country’s 9 percent unemployment rate. As such, they expect a
high jobless rate to continue through
the end of 2013.
In challenging economic times and
a tight job market, it is more important
than ever to have a competitive edge.
To get it, many have chosen to pursue
ASAE’s Certified Association Executive
designation.
The Case for Credentialing
Getting one’s CAE is a wise choice for
association job seekers, according to
CEOs and HR managers, many of whom
agreed: All other things being equal, a
candidate who has a current CAE will
be more attractive than one who does
not — although certification alone won’t
guarantee a job offer.
The reason that CAEs are so attractive is simple: Every association is
looking for ways to increase revenue,
efficiency and productivity. The broad
knowledge base CAEs absorb in the
process of exam preparation gives them
a better understanding of organizational
needs and reduces the silo effect that
plagues many association departments,
which directly benefits the bottom line.
“I personally hold the CAE creden-
tial in high regard,” says H. Stephen
Lieber, CAE, president and CEO of the
Chicago-based Healthcare Information
and Management Systems Society, and
immediate past chair of the Association
Forum of Chicagoland’s Board of Direc-
tors. “I think it is validation of a body
of knowledge in our field that is impor-
tant for an association management
professional to achieve. The breadth
and depth of association management
issues required to pass the exam is
such that anyone who becomes a CAE
has clearly demonstrated a comprehen-
sive knowledge base that I believe is
very important for high performance and
excellence in our field.”
Supporting CAE Success
Because they understand the bottom-line benefits of the CAE, many Chicagoland associations are working hard
to help their top employees attain it
— often through tuition reimbursement
programs, many of which cover the
costs of attaining the CAE credential.
Barbara Byrd Keenan, CAE, execu-
tive vice president of the Chicago-based
Institute of Food Technologists, has
always been a major proponent of the
CAE because she believes it’s an impor-
tant testament to the commitment of
association management. “At IFT, we
encourage and pay for study courses,
pay the application fee and maintain
a current library of required CAE study
books,” she says. “We even send our
new CAEs to the ASAE Annual Meeting
to receive their certificate and be recog-
nized.”
Karen Kramer, director of human
resources for the Association Manage-
ment Center in Glenview, Ill., echoes
many of Keenan’s sentiments. “We
