finding my path by rhys moult on flickr, creative commons attribution

In 2011 the Canadian Administrators of Volunteer Resources went back to the drawing board with their professional certification process for individuals who manage volunteers and last year decided to partner with the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration out of the States and roll out a new certification process. We’re now coming up on the deadline to apply for certification in 2013 if you want to be part of the inaugural Canadian contingent going for this credential this year. I’ve decided to be part of that contingent!

Since I’ve been working in the volunteer management field for the past ten years and now train others in the field, I thought it was highly important to apply for this credential. It’s no small process: study materials to prep for a two-hour, 80-question online exam on May 22, 2013, plus creation and submission of a professional portfolio (consisting of a philosophy statement, an ethics case study and a management narrative) by the end of this year. The deadline to apply for certification is March 1, 2013. Once certified you can enjoy a five-year certification period. More details here.

I’m keen to help raise the profile of our work in volunteer management by being a part of this new certification process. It’s one more layer of professionalism to add on to an individual’s career path in this field. Individuals who choose to seek out education opportunities, join together with others under a professional association such as AVRBC or other provincial or local networks, and bring their most skillful selves to the complicated and rewarding work of managing volunteers.