Why can getting a professional certification boost your career in 2025?
It is no longer a secret: the world of work is constantly changing. Knowing how to adapt, evolve and reinvent yourself has become a major challenge for all employees or job seekers. It is therefore essential to acquire new skills throughout your career in order to stand out. Professional certifications meet this challenge and represent an effective lever to boost your career.
Whether you are considering a retraining, whether you want to evolve in your sector or simply officially validate your acquired skills, certification offers many advantages.
What is a professional certification?
A professional certification is a official recognition of know-how acquired by an individual in a particular field. These may be diplomas, certificates or professional titles that validate skills registered at the RNCP (National Directory of Professional Certifications) or RS (Specific directory).
The certifications are issued by authorized organizations (ministries, professional branches, training organizations, schools or universities...) after having verified the mastery of knowledge and skills through an examination, evaluation or training. There are four ways to access professional certification: initial training, continuing education, work-study or VAE.
Professional certifications are classified by qualification level and field of activity. They are also made up of skill blocks which are a set of skills that are necessary to carry out an activity and that can be evaluated. They respond to specific needs of the professional sector concerned.
Good to know: depending on their nature, professional certifications are not all recognized in the same way, and therefore do not have the same value. Diplomas and professional titles are national certificates, issued and recognized by the State. On the other hand, professional qualification certificates are issued by commissions linked to professional branches. Above all, they are recognized among professionals in the field.
What are the advantages of certification for your professional activity?
The benefits of professional certifications are numerous. They of course make it possible to significantly improve one's professional knowledge and skills and to access a certain professional recognition and credibility. By obtaining a professional certification, you promote your employability and your professional integration.
Obtaining a professional certification allowsevolve professionally and to claim new missions with more responsibilities, but also to Retrain and to access new professions. Whether it is a retraining or to validate expertise in one's professional activity, certification allows you to stand out on the job market. It's a real competitive advantage.
The diversity of professional certifications makes it possible toaccess many different jobs, including IT, marketing, project management, customer relations, hotel and restaurant, digital communication, and many others. Some jobs are only accessible with a specific title and others require a certain level of study: certification is then essential.
Professional certification is particularly valued in certain sectors, especially those who are in constant evolution, such as technology or cybersecurity, among others. Among the fields that value professional certifications in 2025, we find information technology, the medical and health sector, management and leadership, IT and cybersecurity, project management, finance...
Finally, from a practical point of view, professional certifications are advantageous because they allow choose from various rhythms and formats of training according to your professional situation and your preferences.
How to finance your professional certification?
The costs associated with obtaining professional certification can be a barrier. Fortunately, several financing mechanisms exist to promote access to as many people as possible.
Depending on your situation and the type of training targeted, you may be able to benefit from one of these financing aids:
- Personal Training Account : all employees accumulate training rights in euros on their CPF. These rights can then be used to finance eligible training courses (certification courses and VAE) leading to the obtaining of a certificate.
- OPCO : Competence Operators are organizations responsible for financing vocational training for employees and the self-employed. It is an approved State actor that makes it possible to meet the challenges of all professional branches.
- Regional aids : Regions can also propose mechanisms to supplement funding, if necessary. These systems are specific to each region and depend on the need for skills of the territories.
- Skills Development Plan : under certain conditions, the company can cover certification costs in its annual employee training plan.
- Training Insurance Fund : the FAF corresponding to the sector of activity of your professional certification can finance the training of self-employed workers, liberal professions, self-employed entrepreneurs...
- Individual Training Assistance (AIF): this is funding from Pôle Emploi intended for job seekers wishing to facilitate their return to work with a certificate.
How do I choose the right professional certification?
Choosing a professional certification depends on a number of factors, such as your career goals, the skills needed, and the needs of your business or industry.
Find some tips for selecting a recognized certification that is in line with your career goals:
- Identify the professional skills required for the position or sector of activity you are interested in.
- Look for available certifications in the areas that correspond to these key skills and check how to obtain them (continuing education, VAE, etc.).
- Then check the adequacy of the skills requirements identified with those that the certification proposes to acquire. They should be in line with the requirements of the position you are looking for.
- Evaluate the value of certifications. First of all, do not hesitate to check that the certification is well recognized by the State by doing a search on France Skills. You can then find out about the reputation of this certification among employers and professionals in the sector of activity concerned.
- Analyze the format and duration of the training to ensure that these criteria correspond to your situation and your availability. In fact, certifications can range from a few days to several months, and can be delivered online, face-to-face or a mix of both formats.
Here is more detail about the different rhythms and formats that exist to obtain certification:
- La continuing education : intended for working professionals, it makes it possible to combine salary activity and training. More generally, it takes the form of distance education.
- Validation of Acquired Experience : VAE is not a training course in itself, but a validation of professional experience. To do this, the candidate must complete a file and defend it in front of a jury that can validate all or part of the certification in question.
- The alternation : dual education for adults is becoming more and more popular. It allows you to take courses in a training center, and to be immersed in a company. This format has the advantage of providing experience, remuneration and providing you with training costs (which are borne by the company).
- Full-time training : you study 100% with the training organization, face-to-face, online or both. It can be accompanied by an internship in a company to benefit from professional experience.
What are the essential professional certifications for the jobs of tomorrow?
Nowadays, some certifications are in high demand, especially in the areas of Management, the sector of Finances, and especially the sector of information and communication technologies, more particularly in the field of computer security, project management or IT governance. Job opportunities in these sectors are numerous: by becoming a certified professional in these fields, you will be able to develop specific and sought-after skills.
Here are some examples of certifications recognized by professionals in various fields:
- Project Management: PMP (Project Management Professional), CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management);
- IT & cybersecurity: TOSA (Test on Software Applications), CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional);
- Digital marketing: Google digital workshops;
- Finance: CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst);
- Management: certificate of skills in operational management...
And many others... There are almost as many certifications as there are jobs!
How can you effectively prepare for professional certification?
If you are about to embark on a professional certification process, we share some strategies and tips to prepare effectively and pass your exams:
Plan your preparation plan
Good planning will allow you to allocate your preparation time in a balanced way, thus avoiding last-minute stress. To do this, you can set clear goals for each skill block covered by the exam in order to have targeted reviews. Set deadlines to track your progress and stay motivated.
Time and stress management
Establishing a realistic and balanced schedule, by distributing the areas of expertise well, allows you not to overload yourself and to be sure to achieve all your learning goals. That said, remember to remain flexible to adapt your schedule to personal or professional unforeseen events. If necessary, do not hesitate to apply effective techniques to manage stress (meditation, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation...).
Be proactive
For better memory anchoring, it is advisable to practice “active revision”: explaining the content out loud, teaching it to someone else, writing summaries, creating mind maps, etc., depending on the method that works best with your type of memory. Do not hesitate to diversify your learning resources and focus on fun formats: books, videos, podcasts, online courses, practical exercises...
Conclusion
Certified training courses are a real asset, both for companies and for employees. They strengthen their employability and also allow organizations to be more productive.
Are you looking for a room in Paris to organize a training course or a competition? Discover all our exceptional spaces.