Professional certification is the process by which a person proves that he or she has the knowledge, experience and skills to perform a specific job and the tasks in which they have been trained. The proof comes in the form of a certificate, which is earned by passing one or more exams that were developed by an organization or association that monitors and upholds the prescribed standards for the particular industry involved

To get a certificate is the simplest way for those who want to discover  and start a new, exciting career. The certificate qualifies you to obtain a working position in any type of institution: private, public, state, for profit and non for profit organization. You will be able even open your own business and lead the organization the way you want, and your certificate will be proof of your authority on a government, state and an individual level.

To meet a certification requirements, the candidate must have relevant educational background and working experience; in some cases the candidate must pass the exam. In certain cases, the candidate’s experience could be prorated and matched as an equivalent to certification.

All certificates starts from an initial level, and later after you will prove your expertise by the steady record of successful work and positive experience, you will be prompted to obtain professional level certificate. Professional level certificate usually do not have an expiration date and you will have it for lifetime. If you do not disobey applied to your certificate rules, it never will be revoked. In case if you will break the code of professional etiquette and mannerism, your certificate might be revoked temporary, or you might banned for lifetime practice specific activities. It is all depends on the type of certificate and specifics of activity you will be practicing. 

To be licensed means that an individual has a nontransferable authorization to carry on a specific professional activity based on qualifications which include: 

1. Graduation from an accredited or approved program
2. b) acceptable performance on a qualifying examination or series of examinations.

Licenses are necessary to practice some specific activities in certain areas. For example, a license is required to work as an occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech pathologist, doctor, lawyer, and other specialties. In order to get the license, you need to be certified for practice in specific state. In some instances, you can obtain license to work in a couple of states. To work in the selected area of expertise, you have to meet educational requirements, possess the relevant practical skills, and pass through the applicable testing procedures. Majority of the people, who obtains the license, establishes their private practice.

There are many pathways how to obtain the license. You can have a traditional college nomination, where you can be prompted to take professional tests after successful graduation college program. You can also use your previous experience and proven record of work, as one of the way to meet license requirements. Another option will be a combination of educational background and working experience, which will lead you toward certification.  All licensing process is strictly individual process and there is no such thing as a group license. We will be happy to review all available legal option to you, so the best way will be to upload all your educational documents and resume for more detail oriented specific consultation. 

Certificates, certifications and licenses are terms that are often confused, but there are important distinctions. A certificate verifies that a person has completed a course or series of courses at an educational institution. A certification verifies that a professional has met a certain set of criteria for a skill or job as measured by a third-party assessment. A license is verification by a government agency that a professional is able to perform a particular occupation in a particular location, such as a certain state.

Professional certificates are typically granted after graduation educational programs or institutions such as universities as a result of education focused on one topic. After completing program you will be prompted to take a professional specialty tests, which will allow you to be certified. Course content is developed by faculty committees, academic leaders or instructors or occasionally through defensible analysis of the topic area. A certificate demonstrates that the learner understands course content at a specific period in time and is often listed on a resume as evidence of knowledge for prospective employers. Both newcomers to the workforce and experienced professionals may earn certificates, but they often provide a gateway for achieving a degree.

Certifications are awarded by a third-party, standard-setting organization when a candidate passes an assessment process indicating mastery of a defensible set of standards. The standards are developed through a comprehensive job analysis resulting in an outline of the required knowledge and skills for a particular profession. Certifications are not associated in any way with higher education or degrees and typically require some level of professional experience before beginning the process.

Upon earning a certification, professionals often receive a designation to use after their names as a way to differentiate experienced, certified professionals from their peers. After initial certification, the awarding organization requires proof of continuing education  (often called continuing education units, or C.E.U.s) to that ensure the professional standards are maintained.

Licenses

Licenses are similar to certifications, as they indicate competency of a set of standards and must be renewed with continuing education. However, unlike certifications, licenses are typically awarded by the federal, state or local government, and they are mandatory for professional practice in their jurisdiction. Licenses are often required for health, public education, legal and financial careers. To obtain the license in specific area, you must meet all educational requirements, to pass necessary tests and to meet required time of practice, or working experience.

All licenses are assigned on an individual basis, and what is important to remember, that educational background and expertise from foreign countries are highly valuable and acceptable on the premises of USA. All what you need to do is it to fill out the set of necessary forms and applications, which will be confirming your working experience and expertise.