On May 28, 2015, I finished the recertification process for my Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) credential. This was the second time I’d been recertified, after passing the Knowledge Exam and Work Product six years ago.

My CPLP journey might not be a typical one. To start, English is not my first language. Although I have been living and working in the United States for years, I still found the language challenging during my certification process. Second, my job is not related directly to developing talent. As the head of ATD International, my main responsibility is to help ATD become a more global organization by developing partnerships and supporting our members outside the United States. I’ve found that the CPLP certification is a powerful tool for helping me achieve those goals.

When I started to prepare for the Knowledge Exam, I thought it would be easy—after all, I had a PhD in human resource development from Penn State. Not true. I realized that there was a bigger language barrier than I thought; I was not only preparing for the Knowledge Exam, but also for a test on my English skills. For instance, I needed to learn or re-learn much of the field’s terminology.

Additionally, many of the test questions are lengthy, so I needed to learn to understand the question and come up with an answer quickly. I had to postpone my first Knowledge Exam because of these challenges. So for all the non-native English speakers, make sure you allow ample time for test preparation. The good news is that after you pass the exam, you will find improvement in both areas—understanding of the talent development field and your English capability.

The certification process expanded my understanding of the profession and helped me to stay in the industry. It’s easier for me to understand the needs of our members, and connect them with the right resources. My PhD and CPLP certification gave me more credibility to be a speaker at international conferences, which helped me reach out to more professionals in the field.

This December, my unusual CPLP journey is going to take another, even more interesting turn. I will be facilitating a CPLP prep course in China for the first time. I am so excited that I’m able to use my CPLP certification to help others start their journey.