On September 6, I am retiring after 42 years of working for the same firm – that’s longer than many of you have been alive.

I didn’t know anything about the A/E community. I got the job because they needed a secretary and I could type fast…and not computer typing fast, but non-correcting electric typewriter fast.  No spell check. No grammar check.  No Google.  If you made a mistake you either corrected it with White Out (yes, a liquid brushed on the paper that you hoped wasn’t so thick it wouldn’t dry), or a typewriter eraser (yes, like a pink pencil eraser except it had a brush on one end to brush away the eraser shavings).

What I didn’t have was a group of people to help me figure out exactly what I should be doing and how it should be done. I learned on the job, but as the only admin in a small firm, there was just me and if it was wrong it was because I didn’t know better. I was blessed to have a boss who believed there was no such thing as too much training or too much education. It was still 25 or so years into my work life that I was introduced to the Society for Design Administration (now SDA) by Deborah Gill, who I met as our Wind2 consultant. She said I would benefit from being an SDA member and she was right.

I joined SDA in 2003 and sat for the CDFA exam in 2008. I passed. I am a CDFA and that certification affirms my level of professionalism. I serve on SDA national committees and attend as many EDSymposiums as I can. I have learned from SDA members and hope I have been able to pass on my experience, understanding, successes, and failures to other SDA members.

So, who would I look for as my replacement? Someone with CDFA credentials. 

Those aren’t just letters behind your name. A CDFA tells me you are curious, motivated, eager to learn. It tells me you want to be surrounded by people who do the same (or similar) things; people who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge, and teach you what they know. And once you’ve achieved that certification, maintaining it requires annual continuing education which tells me you’re still learning.

Go for it. Do it for yourself! Take pride in your work. Show off your capabilities. You’re worth it.  And, one day, when you’re ready to retire, you will be gratified to know what you’ve achieved.

Are you ready to begin the journey and accomplish your CDFA? Click here to learn more.