Loud and Proud: Displaying Accreditations on Social Media

Displaying your accreditations on social media? It’s a tribal thing.

I’ve noticed recently that more people are displaying professional accreditation after their names on social media.

At first, I was confused by those jumbles of letters that mean so much to people in the procurement world, but so little to anyone else. On Procurious alone we have hundreds of MCIPS, FCIPS, CPSMs and CPPOs. But why do people put their credentials up in lights?

Pack as Much Information Into Your Name as Possible

There’s a lot of information available about optimising social media profiles to make them attractive to potential business partners, recruiters, corporate headhunters and so on.

LinkedIn has a pretty sophisticated profile builder that guides you through the steps to raise your profile to “superstar” status. This includes adding all sorts of detail, ranging from experience and education, to recommendations, skills and even influencers.

The reality is, however, that unless there’s a good reason to do so, people aren’t actually going to click on your profile very often. In fact, you can ‘connect’ with people on LinkedIn, and here on Procurious, without even visiting their profile. Simply clicking on their face does the trick.

This means there’s not much value in diligently adding your accreditations to your profile page if you don’t also display it next to your name.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

So, if people aren’t going to see your profile, what do they see?

Well, first (and arguably foremost), they’ll see your profile picture. It’s important to have one, and it needs to look professional.

Secondly, they’ll see your name. On Procurious that’s all, though LinkedIn shows a very brief job and company description. It’s not much – and you’d really be flattering yourself if you think people will want to view your profile just for your good looks or interesting-sounding name.

You need to pack more into the limited space available, and an accreditation does the trick.

Why? Because, for those who understand what accreditations actually entail, it says so much about you.

It signals that you’re backed and accredited by a respected professional organisation. It means that you’ve got industry experience, up-to-date qualifications, and are engaged with peers in your profession. It’s like a shorthand version of a CV, which you can expand into more detail in your profile itself.

Professional Accreditations Trump Academic Qualifications

As any frustrated job-seeker knows, experience is everything when it comes to getting hired.

You might be academically qualified up to the eyeballs, but your average recruiter is more likely to be interested in the practical skills you learned as Junior Shift Manager at McDonald’s. And this (sadly) is what the interview will focus upon.

This experience ‘Catch-22′ has led to the situation where unpaid internships have become almost mandatory in many professions, in order to get some experience under your belt and improve job prospects.

That’s where professional accreditations come in. As a general rule, they can’t be gained without having spent at least three years in the industry. They therefore flag to colleagues (and potential recruiters) that you do at least have a few years’ experience.

Some accreditations require both experience and tertiary qualifications. ISM’s CPSM, for example, requires three years “full-time, professional supply management experience, with a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree,” or 5 years’ experience without a degree.

This seems fair to me, as it gives some level of recognition to the bachelor degree (not a completely worthless piece of paper after all!), while still leaving the door open to those who choose not to attend tertiary education.

That being said, there’s a fair share of Bachelors, Diplomas and especially MBAs on display after people’s names on social media.

You’ve Earned It, So Why Not Flaunt It?

Why not? It’s good to be proud of your achievement and important to visibly support your professional association.

Jim Barnes, Managing Director for ISM Services, agrees that displaying your accreditation sends a signal to your peers. “ISM’s CPSM certification helps others identify that the person displaying the credential has deep knowledge, and can apply it.”

There’s also the tribal factor. People love to identify with different ‘tribes’ or groups. Having your professional membership or accreditation on display helps others identify you as “one of us” – a group of professionals who have all been through the same accreditation process, and therefore have the same knowledge and experience to draw upon when dealing with shared challenges.

Procurious itself is one such large ‘tribe’ of connected procurement professionals, further broken down by the members themselves into groups and sub-groups.

On a side note, accreditations have been proven to translate into real-world rewards. ISM produces a salary survey that consistently shows CPSM-accredited professionals earn salaries approximately 7 per cent higher than non-CPSM’s.

“The higher salary demonstrates that having an accreditation carries practical benefits, as well as credibility”, says Barnes.

Show Your Currency

Imagine you’re a recruiter. You’ve been trawling social media for the ideal candidate, and you hit on what looks like a perfect fit. They’re in the right industry, their experience looks good, and they have a postgraduate degree in supply chain management…completed in 1989.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who will agree that procurement is the same now as in 1989. And if you can’t find any evidence of more up-to-date education, you click on the next candidate.

Accreditations highlighted on social media profiles (and indeed on CVs) would have reassured the recruiter, because most credentials require recertification. This means that you’re forced to stay up-to-date and valid.

The CPSM, for example, has to be maintained. It automatically expires every three years unless holders complete 60 continuing education hours, which may include sitting exams, conference attendance, corporate training or contributions to the profession.

Do you think a comment posted on social media by a professional with their credentials on display has more “weight” than other comments? Share your thoughts below.