Certification...Why?
By Bernice E. Tresemer, PP, PLS

Why do we always see or hear the word “certification” connected with NALS?  Why does NALS keep pushing for it?  Is it necessary?  Some say it isn’t.  Is it advantageous?  ABSOLUTELY!  I know there may be a few members who are tired of hearing about it, but NALS won’t stop praising its value until every member is certified.

People, both members and non-members, get certified for various reasons.  Sometimes, as a young adult, one didn’t have the opportunity to go to college.  Then as an older adult, a spouse and children entered into the picture, and once again the opportunity for a college degree seemed out of reach.  A NALS certification offers a person another way to study – on your own time and on your own terms.  YOU choose when to prepare for and take that invaluable exam.

A certification can certainly come into play while interviewing for jobs.  What if you and another candidate have almost the same skills, similar experience, and the same education?  If you have a professional certification, that immediately gives you an edge over the other candidate.

I personally took the PLS exam before I was even a member of NALS.  I was already a CPS through IAAP and working in a law firm.  I happened to see a publicity article about someone passing a PLS exam, and I immediately contacted NALS.  I was ready for another challenge and knew the PLS was aimed at the legal field, rather than the CPS which was aimed at the clerical field in general.  NALS told me which books to get and the studying began.

At that time, the exam was a full two-day event.  I was contacted by the administrator (someone I never met), and the time and place were arranged.  I was surprised, to say the least, to find I was the only person taking this exam.  I was with a group of about 15 when I took the CPS, so that’s what I expected.  To this day, I still find it difficult to believe that more people don’t accept this challenge.  When you open your mailbox and see that envelope from NALS addressed to you, with ALS, PLS, or PP behind your name, the excitement can’t even be described.  You realize at that very moment that all of your efforts were well worth it and the feeling of pride is overwhelming.

Unlike years ago, a certification exam is now a one-day event.  You have already spent time studying and preparing for the test.  You will go to bed early the night before so you are well rested (no, you will not toss and turn worrying about the exam – that serves no purpose!).  You have checked out the location of the exam prior to this day so you won’t get lost and you will know how long it takes to get there.  NALS has already sent you your admission slip and instruction as to what type of pencil and calculator to bring.  You have your tissues and a bottle of water. Yes, you are now prepared.  Your administrator will be very supportive and helpful and will answer whatever questions you may have (no, not the answers to the exam questions!). You will sign your confidentiality agreement and will certainly abide by it and not share any information outside of the exam room.  Lunch is on your own, so bring a bag lunch if you are not familiar with the establishments in the area of the exam.  There is nothing to fear on the day of testing.

During my PLS test, in between taking the different sections, my administrator would share what NALS, WALP, and the local chapter were all about and proudly showed me her Award of Excellence and Legal Professional of the Year Awards.  Then I began to wonder why this total stranger would give up her precious weekend to give me, a non-member, this test for which I had been studying so intently.  What was she getting out of this?  There had to be a reason for her doing this, but what was it?

Once I joined NALS and became involved, it all became crystal clear to me.  It was because she took satisfaction in helping another person achieve the same goal she achieved years before, since she knew how much a NALS certification means to a member, both personally and professionally.  That is the epitome of the term “giving back to the association.”  If you are certified, you qualify to administer an exam for the same certification you have.  A nonmember PP may also administer the exams.  NALS makes it very easy – a 14-page booklet is provided at no cost to you, which outlines the requirements and procedures of administering an exam.

Since my experience of taking the PLS exam, I have taken the inaugural PP exam and have also become a NALS exam administrator. The excitement I feel each time one of my attendees passes and achieves that goal is indescribable.  Their thrill and excitement remind me of how happy and proud I was when I first received my certifications.  May we all feel that same excitement every time a fellow member reaches this milestone.