Who are the more than 5,000 talent development professionals who have earned the APTD or CPTD credential? Get to know the talented and diverse community:

Caroline Holt is a Principal Consultant (former in-house roles include EVP of Revenue Enablement & VP of Sales Training & Development). She earned the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD®) credential in 2017.

Why did you pursue the APTD/CPTD? I hail from a highly credentialed set of teachers (professors, school administrators, and teachers). I have always loved learning and development and performance coaching, specifically sales training and enablement but have been largely self-taught. I wanted to learn, practice, and master the critical disciplines of learning and development and human performance through a rigorous program. I wanted to complement my years in the classroom and develop top performers with the confidence
that I know what I’m doing and the perspectives I may have missed along the way.

How have you benefited from the credential—professionally and/or personally? While I add it as an expectation/priority for job postings, I’ve never actually been asked about it. I
think it’s more impactful for me and my confidence.

What advice would you share with others considering certification? It is a lot of work. Pace yourself. Find a study group to keep you accountable (there weren’t any when I was studying, but I think it would have been hugely beneficial). Purchase a textbook or print out the content so you can highlight. Use Quizlet or Rocketbook flash cards to create your flashcards that you can practice digitally. Spend as much time as you can on case study prep. It’s a
butt kicker.

How do you think certification helps the talent development field?
The more professionals we have, who share common background, vernacular, and approaches, the more collaborative and innovative we can be as an industry and as professionals.

How did your employer support your pursuit of the credential?
I was self-employed at the time I pursued it, but my clients were very supportive of my exam prep and completion.

What does having your credential mean to you? It signifies the many hours of reading and practicing and how my world expanded. Plus, I like having letters behind my name :)

How did you get into the talent development field? I come from a long line of educators, but found the business world fit my interests more than academia. As a top sales performer, I wanted to help teach our new sales hires how to move from top candidate to top performer, while reducing the turnover of our salespeople. So, I got into sales
training and coaching.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? When you’re exhausted/frustrated and ready to find a new job or gig, mark the date on your calendar and a date three months later. Resist the temptation to jump ship when the going gets tough. When that three-month mark comes around, if you’re still exhausted and frustrated, then it’s time to go, but chances are good that something has changed and perhaps that frustration actually became an opportunity or personal/professional development.

What is a great book you’ve read recently? Woman of No Importance

What is your favorite hobby or pastime? Watching my kids flourish as kind, independent humans. And collecting passport stamps! (Sometimes at the same time!)

What is the most unusual job you’ve had? At 16, I worked as a Greeter & Salesclerk at GAP. I was the bubbly one who tried to upsell you on belts and socks at the register to increase our average sales price.

Have you earned the APTD or CPTD? Share your story with the community.