Is Digital Asset Certification Worth It for Professionals Changing Careers?

Truthfully, it depends. For some job switchers, digital asset accreditation may be relevant, and for others, it might not be relevant at all. A degree of usefulness depends on the person's career goal rather than the qualification. The calculation is very different for a finance professional who is looking for a role that requires compliance in a digital asset firm, compared to a developer who is creating smart contracts. The issue isn't whether certification is good or bad, but whether it has a role in meeting a particular requirement to achieve a particular aim.

What Can Certification Add for a Career Changer?

For a person with little experience in digital assets, structured education can help them develop basic knowledge. It introduces the jargon used in the industry, provides an understanding of how blockchain and digital assets can be used in various business contexts, and provides an understanding of other concepts that are not part of traditional finance, such as regulation and compliance. A structured course is also an excellent way for many professionals to discover what they don't know that may not be covered in informal reading. While this can be a great advantage, it isn't necessarily linked directly to employability. Certification is an indicator that a person has participated in targeted professional development. But the manner in which an employer responds to the signal is different across organizations and jobs.

When Certification May Be Particularly Relevant

For a finance professional looking to enter digital asset markets, custody, or tokenized products, certification with a solid foundation in finance concepts and a clear understanding of digital asset details might be useful. Courses that bridge the gap between existing due diligence and financial crime frameworks and apply them to the digital asset space can be beneficial for compliance and AML professionals new to crypto compliance. Certification can help risk and audit professionals build their knowledge of the new categories of operational and custody risk in developing digital asset expertise. Newcomers to Web3 organizations might find it helpful to have some structured grounding in digital asset business models. The common theme across all of them is that they are professionals who have a lot of experience in their own industry but no digital asset-specific jargon or context.

When Certification May Not Be Enough

Certification does not supersede on-the-job experience, prior job qualifications, or technical training for the job. For blockchain developers, a non-technical digital asset certification is not equivalent to programming, software development experience, smart contract knowledge, or testing. Most companies looking to fill technical positions are seeking actual coding skills and project experience, rather than theoretical knowledge. In non-technical positions, it is often a combination of portfolio evidence, case studies, and related work history that will lead to greater consideration than a certificate.

How to Decide if It Is Worth It for You

Practical assessment begins with some candid questions. What job do you really desire? What are some of your existing skills that you bring with you from your previous job? What do you consider missing from your digital asset knowledge? Does the certification program cover those gaps, or is it content you already know? Is the learning style suitable for you? Does it involve evaluation or application of the content, or a passive way of watching videos? Is it recognised as Professional Development or CPD? Last, but not really least, what will you do with the knowledge when you are done, whether it's via a job search, an internal move, or a project? Any reader interested in any particular program should check the specifics of the program with the provider and not rely on second-hand summaries.

Certification Example

If one is considering a career change and is interested in digital asset compliance, then they should look into the Certified Digital Asset Compliance Expert (CDACE)™ which is a CPD-accredited Digital Assets Compliance Certification offered by 101 Blockchains. It does provide one example of structured professional development for someone coming from an existing role, such as in the finance, compliance, or audit sector, into the digital asset compliance industry. Like any certification, the best approach is to compare the program's most recent curriculum, its structure, and its acceptance with an individual's objectives.

Certification vs Practical Experience

Good transitions typically integrate more than one of the following: existing professional skills, online training in digital asset education, role-specific skills, real-world projects or case studies, and professional experience. The education part can be supported by certification, but it is best not to use certification as a strategy in itself. When a course is used in addition to experience, rather than as a substitute for it, it is more likely to yield realistic results.

FAQs

Would career changers benefit from a digital asset certification?

This depends on the background of the person, their job aim, and what they don't know already. It's not necessarily valuable to all.

Does certification open up an opportunity to work in the digital asset sector?

It can complement structured learning and contribute to developing content and knowledge relevant to the industry, but cannot be relied on as an entry route to the industry alone.

Do you have to understand how to code to make use of a digital asset certification?

No, but most technical skills, such as the work done in blockchain development, are not included in a non-technical certification.

What opportunities could digital asset certification offer finance and compliance functions?

Yes, often, especially when the certification provides an avenue to connect current skills and knowledge to digital asset-related scenarios.

Will certification be enough to transform careers to digital assets?

Generally no. It is best used in combination with on-the-job experience, current qualifications, and job-specific skills.

Conclusion

Digital asset certification may be beneficial if it addresses a real void in knowledge and is related to a specific career goal. It is not the credential that is important but how it fits into current professional experience and skill development.