I have been an executive assistant for 29 years. I was a member of Professional Secretaries International before there ever was an IAAP. In 2005 I was in the very early stages of becoming certified when things took a downturn at my company. I did not renew my membership with IAAP after that year. I was able to stay with that company and thought I would end up retiring from there so had no need to proceed with certification. Last year I received a wonderful opportunity for the job I have today and could not pass it up. It meant that I had to refresh myself on some areas that I had let lag. Most importantly, I began to feel valued and important again. While my last employer always expressed that I was indeed valued and important, I simply didn’t feel that way for the last few years. When a new co-worker mentioned the possibility of getting certified, I didn’t give it much thought. I had convinced myself that there was no value in it for me at my age. I have no doubt that I am good at what I do and saw no benefit of certification at my age. I thought it was a great thing for anyone younger though. I did begin membership with IAAP, went to a meeting with her, participated in a few webinars, and began reading the magazine. During the next year I saw the results of a predecessor that refused to keep an open mind and learn new skills. I do not want to happen to me! This coupled with my co-worker’s excitement about taking the exam got me interested in looking into it again after all these years. Working from home during the pandemic made it a priority for me. I studied up on the certification and discussed with my with employer as soon as we were able to meet face to face. My first group study session was last week. I am looking forward to this entire process.

Congratulations, Peggy!

Best of luck in your certification journey

Enjoy the journey!

Best wishes on your CAP certification journey!

Thank you for sharing your story!  Best wishes on your journey to certification!

Congratulations on taking this next step in your personal and professional development! I'm so glad you found us again and are pursuing your CAP. I love reading everyone's stories! Best wishes with your studies.

I think it is so easy to slip into complacency - whether because we feel "safe" in our jobs or we think we will retire soon or whatever reason. All I know is, time after time, I see administrative professionals get the rug pulled out from underneath their feet and they are ill prepared for an unexpected job search or angry because they are passed up on a promotion. Keeping your skills cutting edge (and more important - relevant) is so critical to long term success. I'm so glad you have decided to come back and try for the certification and that I get to share the journey with you.