Great Tips on Using Facebook

Do you have a Facebook page? Are you contemplating ways to get more people engaged using Facebook? Take a look at this article we came across. It has great tips on how to keep the person coming back to your page after they have "liked" it.

CFP Launches Public Education Campaign

Many certifying agencies ask how to educate the public about the value of using/hiring/requesting a certified professional. The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards is launching a new campaign to do just that.

The "Let's Make a Plan" campaign, includes "national cable television and online advertising in addition to its print advertising. A public service website – www.LetsMakeaPlan.org – will serve as a core feature of the campaign, where consumers can learn about financial planning, the personalized approach CFP® professionals provide and find a local CFP® professional through a search function."

CFP is reportedly spending nearly $36 million on the four-year campaign. Check out the site.

ICE Announces, "Professional Credentials are a Valuable Asset for Job Seekers..."

In a press release today, ICE discussed the value of credentials for job seekers as the economy recovers. The following is an excerpt you may find interesting

Obtaining credentials can also be a helpful advancement tool for those who are currently employed. Employees should talk to their supervisors about reimbursement for work-related education. In this age of frozen salaries, CareerBuilder has found that 21 percent of employers are willing to invest in training to retain employees. Once attained, many industry credentials offer a bridge to higher income. In a 2010 study, the International Economic Development Council showed that Certified Economic Developers earned an average of $26,100 more than their non-certified colleagues.

ICE Seeking Individuals Interested in Serving on Nominating Committee

The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) sent out the following reminder today. Service on the Nominating Committee (or any ICE committee) is a great way to become involved in ICE.

The ICE Nominating Committee consists of the Immediate Past President, two elected members, a representative from the NCCA Commission and a member appointed by the Board of Directors. The ICE Board is in the process of making their yearly appointment to the Nominating Committee and is looking for individuals interested in serving.

Any member in good standing is eligible for this position. If you are interested in being that representative, please submit your name and resume to info@credentialingexcellence.org by February 16, 2011.

Standards Comment Period Set to Open

A review and revision process for the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing began in 2009. The Joint Committee overseeing the revision of the Standards is planning to open the comment period for the revision draft in January. The comment period will close in April 2011.

The Standards are published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME). Compliance with the testing Standards is essential for any organization that is, or plans to be, accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) under the Standards for Accreditation of Certification Programs or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024.

The draft and online comments form will be available by mid-January at http://www.teststandards.org/Revision.htm. All organizations that develop and administer certification exams are encouraged to review the draft and submit comments.

Lessons in Social Media from the ICE Conference

By now, we should all know what social media is, but the larger question is how best to use it. There is not a simple answer to this question, unfortunately, and the answer often varies from organization to organization.

During the recent ICE conference in Atlanta, I attended a session debunking the myths of social media. The presenter, Jarin Schmidt, had a lot of great advice for attendees. Here are a few takeaways that stuck with me when it comes to social media.

• Go where your customers are. Many of us get into the world of social media by using all available, free outlets. We start a Facebook page, a Linked In group, get onto Twitter, etc. Consider if your customers are using all of these channels. If not, why are you on them?
• The details do matter. Treat social media with the same respect that you with other communication channels.
  
• Think of social media as coordinating interactions among your audiences, not just pushing information out.
• Having a strategy is good, but sometimes it is okay to react to what others post.
  

ICE Releases Guidelines for Performance Evaluations

The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) just released its Guidelines for Performance Evaluations. The report is $35 for members and $85 for non members, according to ICE's publication order form. Click here for more information.