Globalization provides various opportunities for people and industries. Companies can find the most effective employees while people have an opportunity to obtain a high-quality education, experience, and employment in all spheres and all parts of the world. The CMA Certification is one of the instruments to evaluate candidates’ qualifications and skills that comply with certain standards (Bryant & Bulloch, 2018). People who have this certificate can land a job in the most successful companies. However, it can be rather challenging to obtain the CMA Certificate.
One of the key points concerning the CMA Certification and the experience qualifications requirement is its focus on managerial skills and competencies. The requirements are quite broad, and people employed in many areas can qualify (Bryant & Bulloch, 2018). Successful candidates for CMA Certificates are often involved in financial analysis, management consulting, management accounting and auditing in government, and systems analysis. Nevertheless, people who are only acquainted with some accounting principles in some general managerial positions in such spheres as human resources, engineering, marketing, and sales will not qualify.
Importantly, the CMA Certification program is concerned with acknowledging experienced and skilled employees. Therefore, working experience requirements are essential for becoming a certified professional. Two-year full-time employment is the central requirement, but part-time employees can still apply if their employment is continuous and they have been working for at least four years (Bryant & Bulloch, 2018). The required working experience can be associated with different types of companies and sectors of economy. Employment in for-profit and non-profit organizations, public companies, and governmental agencies is appropriate (Bryant & Bulloch, 2018). However, employees of public accounting companies should have at least a three-year working experience. Part-time employees of these organizations should be working for six years. Working experience can be gained two years before taking the exam or within seven years after, which provides a broad array of opportunities for many people interested in the field.
Another important aspect is the membership in the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), which can be regarded as a way to assess candidates’ working experience. The IMA membership provides countless opportunities as its members have access to valuable resources. More importantly, people become connected and are able to self-develop and gain more experience (Institute of Management Accountants, 2018a). Membership fees are affordable and customized to the needs of different categories of people. Students, new employees, and educators can benefit from joining the network (Institute of Management Accountants, 2018b). Knowledge sharing is one of the points most valued in terms of the CMA Certification program, which made the IMA membership one of the requirements.
All in all, the CMA Certification program bridges the gap between employees and employers. Working experience is one of the fundamental requirements of many companies so they can make sure that the candidate has proper skills and experience if the latter has the CMA Certificate. It can seem rather challenging to qualify for the exam, but even students can consider applying for it. They have enough time to gain working experience after they pass the exam and graduate from their educational establishments. Experienced employees can also consider taking the CMA exam as it can help them self-develop and earn additional (and quite meaningful) credentials. Importantly, full- and part-time employees have an opportunity to receive the certificate, which can be specifically important for those who have to balance work and family life or work and studies.
References
Bryant, K., & Bulloch, J. (2018). Accounting certification in the United States: The Certified Management Accountant. In K. Anyane-Ntow (Ed.), International handbook of accounting education and certification: Published in association with the International Association for Accounting Education and Research (pp. 339-350). New York, NY: Elsevier.
Institute of Management Accountants. (2018a). Membership. Web.
Institute of Management Accountants. (2018b). Types of membership. Web.