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ATD Blog

Earning My CPTD: A Dream Come True

Thursday, March 11, 2021
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Earning my certification was a dream. Dreams do come true. Just set your goal and go for it!

I knew that I wanted an ATD certification. ATD is the world’s largest talent development association, and I had been following them for several years. Through ATD I discovered incredible webinars, books, articles, and hundreds of like-minded people willing to share their best practices. It was more than a great resource—it was a community, and I wanted to be part of it, so I set a goal to become a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD).

However, I needed to make sure the timing was right. It did not feel like 2016 was the right time to focus on my ATD certification. I had some career challenges where my job was taking up a lot of my energy. After earning a certificate from the University of California at Irvine (UCI), I wanted to focus on growing in the e-learning domain and the technology. So I thought I would take a break from classes and develop my creativity. I needed to try new things at work and apply what I had learned at UCI. I was also managing a team, so I was focused on being a better leader.

I also decided to spend my free time learning how to paint. My parents always said that I was the brain, and my brother was the artist, but I was determined to prove them wrong. I wanted to grow my artistic skills. I had completed a photography class, but it wasn’t enough. Before learning how to paint, I had to relearn how to draw. I was a little hesitant. I took a class at the local art gallery. There was no pressure as there were no graded assignments. We were just here to have a good time and learn a new skill. I also had to learn a new language with all the new tools I had to use. It was a new world—a fascinating one. I could tune off after work, put my brain on pause, and get creative.

It is time for me tell you the real reason I wanted to draw. It’s true I was trying to regain my confidence, but I also wanted to grow professionally. You see, I had to draw a storyboard to show my boss an idea for an online course, and I was embarrassed of the sketch I’d done. It was not good; in fact, it was terrible. I knew that my handwriting had deteriorated over time, but I now realized I couldn’t draw at all. However, after a few classes at the gallery I got my confidence back and then I went on to a real art school. I drew all sorts of things from still lifes to landscapes, people to portraits. Two years passed, and I felt great; I was comfortable and proud of myself.

I felt so good that by 2018 I got the updated guide from ATD and was ready get on with my certification. But then my career decided otherwise—I started a new job that wasn’t quite what I expected, and I was struggling. I realized I wanted to give the certification the time and focus it deserved. I didn’t want work pressures to distract me from my goal. So I waited.

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In 2019, my career was stable, and I was still taking some art classes. I focused on watercolor painting, and I enjoyed it. Things were great, and I began to contemplate the certification again. I felt fantastic about my job because I had support from my manager and company, which removed some of my anxiety. At the end of 2019 I explained to my manager that I wanted to pursue the certification. I gave her all the details and my plan. I signed up for the online preparation course, I got my membership, and I did the self-evaluation to make sure I was ready. It was time!

January 2020 was an exciting month. I started the prep course and studied the ATD Competency Model. Then, about two weeks later, I got an email from ATD. I had an opportunity to be part of the pilot for getting certified under ATD’s new Talent Development Capability Model. I couldn’t believe how great the timing was. After reviewing all the details, I decided to enroll in the pilot. I was nervous, but told myself it was new for everyone. I had to wait a bit longer to get the online preparation course because I was part of the pilot. But I was so happy to get started.

I reviewed the outline and decided to complete a minimum of 95 hours of studying to prepare for the exam. To create an effective study plan, I used the preparation course to help me identify the areas in which I needed to spend more time. The live ATD preparation course also helped a great deal. It was a two-day course that allowed me to speak with other learning professionals and home in on certain areas. The exam was two months away, and I felt confident I had adequately prepared.

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I took the exam in late September 2020 at a testing center where precautions for COVID-19 were in place. I felt great when I finished, and then began the waiting game. I thought the exam was fair and that ATD had set clear expectations.

I felt fantastic when I found out that I had passed the CPTD exam! It was a dream come true. My aim was to prove to myself and others that I knew what I was doing at work and that I could be trusted when colleagues sought me for help.

If you don’t think you need this certification or that the timing isn’t right, I encourage you to learn more about ATD. Through studying for and achieving the certification, I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge and confidence. ATD has given me an invaluable resource and a community I can always turn to. Things change rapidly in this industry, but as talent professionals, we need to learn to adapt our methodologies and practices. So go for the certification. You won't regret it.

About the Author

Ingrid Carreres, CPTD, is a senior bilingual instructional designer and passionate learning practitioner. She specializes in customer service, financial products, telecommunications, and sales training, and she has trained and coached professionals in various parts of Canada, the United States, South America, Egypt, and the Philippines.

An eager person who loves to learn and grow, Ingrid attends classes, webinars, and conferences as often as possible to learn from others. She enjoys sharing everything she’s learned with her peers and other professionals. Over the years, Ingrid has launched three learning technology platforms with three different companies and mentored many instructional designers and training specialists. In her work she aims to create innovative ways to help people and companies grow.

In 2012 she earned a certificate in adult instruction from George Brown College in Toronto, Canada. She also completed an online E-Learning Instructional Designer Certificate from University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2016. She then earned a CPTD with ATD in November 2020.

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