TL;DR: AIIM is fantastic and I still support the CIP program - as one of many certifications in the industry.
In early January I announced that I'd become AIIM's first CIP Ambassador. Today I'm announcing that I'm no longer a CIP Ambassador, and I thought I'd explain why.
As a CIP Ambassador, I was eligible to get commissions from AIIM for people who signed up for the CIP exam. It was in my personal financial interests, then, to promote CIP as much as possible. I only used the referral code a couple of times, and did not get a single dollar from AIIM in commissions, but the possibility was there, and I certainly posted about exam prep resources, etc. that I didn't do for other certifications.
That possibility caused some concern in the industry as to my impartiality. While I firmly believe that I've been fair and neutral with respect to other industry certifications and designations, insofar as I follow my approach outlined in this blog post, perception can become reality. So I decided that I would end my CIP Ambassadorship to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
What does this mean going forward? First, I still support AIIM and the CIP program. I will continue to recommend it, and I will continue to answer any and all questions about it that I can. I will also continue to do the same for all my other credentials and credentialing bodies. And as I did in 2022, I will call AIIM out if I think they are moving away from having a proper, valid, defensible certification and program.
Second, I am still an AIIM training partner. I currently teach the AIIM CIP Preparatory Workshop and I may add other AIIM courses in the future. I don't see this as a conflict of interest because, as I noted in another blog post last year, I love teaching and I am willing to teach *any* provider's courses, if it's in my wheelhouse and if we can figure out a way to do so that works for everyone involved. Training companies and certifying bodies, where y'all are?
If you have questions about CIP, please feel free to reach out. If you have questions about any of my other certifications or designations, or certifications broadly, likewise, please reach out.
No comments:
Post a Comment