The Tribune

I read an article the other day about how universities will soon be a thing of the past. The author’s reasoning was because so many jobs are largely dependent on skill sets that are now learned in a technical manner. So all that was required is certification in a particular skill set and employers would be satisfied.

This goes to show that you should not believe everything you read, as if university was only about job training. But the author did bring up a valid point: The importance of certification.

Certification can be directly tied to products. Certifications can be fun or they can be serious. A friend of mine went to Ireland and received a certificate for pouring a perfect pint of Guinness. This certificate reminds him of the great time he had, and has probably encouraged him to consume a few more pints. It took a pub experience and turned it into a treasured memory.

I remember, when the children were small, that we went to Legoland somewhere in the US. They drove bumper cars. Their experience was certified by each of them receiving a Legoland drivers license. They kept this license for a number of years, and it captured them at a very cute stage. Yet certifications can be serious.

Every month since 1992, when I wrote my first book on Street Smart Jujitsu, I have received letters, e-mails and now Facebook requests about how persons could become certified instructors in the martial art that I teach. Some people have actually travelled thousands of miles to become certified. And I have been invited to travel thousands of miles to certify persons. That is because persons need an outside authority to validate them. It is a human need.

The more legitimate the authority, the greater the value of certification. My teacher travelled to Japan for certification. Then he developed his own certification over time. This was passed on to a worldwide committee that I head. So that is why a certificate signed by me carries weight in that community. I think marketers need to look at their products and decide if they can produce a certification course in whatever they are doing.

Sitting at home this holiday season, it occurred to me that I can even extend my certification authority online. So my next venture is to create an online university that uses my books and videos as resource materials. I had danced around this issue many times before, but then I realised there are a number of people that need my service, but will never have the money to travel to visit me. And if you can even get a PhD online, why can’t you become a certified instructor?

So be creative and have fun as you think of ways to use your authority to certify your clients.

• NB: D’Arcy Rahming holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and has helped small and large clients, both in the Bahamas and internationally. Go to DArcyRahming.com and get his free video training series on How to Get a Paycheck From International Clients While Living in the Bahamas.