The commercials are part of IMA’s first-ever comprehensive advertising campaign in the United States. The multiyear campaign, targeting Millennials and finance professionals under 40, points to the CMA as the solution to the skills gap in the finance and accounting professions. Titled “You’ve got to earn it,” the campaign includes ads for television, radio, print, and digital media, as well as a new website experience. The ads started running in mid-September in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Houston, and Phoenix—with other markets planned for the future. To see the 30-second TV spot, visit https://youtu.be/8fMMpSrjGqc.
The aim behind the campaign is simple: Help boost awareness about IMA’s CMA certification and extol its benefits to a broader audience. The number of CMAs has grown exponentially overseas in the past five years, while numbers in the U.S. have lagged behind. One important reason for the popularity of the CMA overseas is that it’s a U.S.-based certification—and that means we need the number of CMAs in the U.S. to grow so even more accounting and finance professionals can experience the prestige of the certification.
I personally believe very strongly in the value of the CMA. In my work as a consultant, I use the skills I gained as a CMA every single day. My clients know I’m a CMA, and they appreciate it—they recognize the value that I bring to their organizations.
And that’s true for every one of our certified members. As a CMA, you can help your organization become more competitive. You also position yourself for more opportunities within that organization.
While the CMA helps you do this through the rigorous two-part exam you take and the work experience you need, one of the most important ways is the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours you’re required to fulfill each year. Having this requirement in place challenges you to keep up with the latest developments in the accounting and finance fields and have the tools you need to advance to the next level in your organization.
To help with that journey, I also want to remind you about IMA’s CareerDriver® tool, which benchmarks the competencies in your current position as well as the position you want to achieve. The skills CareerDriver assesses align very closely with the CMA body of knowledge—and that isn’t a surprise because those are the skills that today’s employers demand.
I urge you to keep your eyes and ears open for our new CMA campaign. I also invite your feedback and suggestions on this or anything else on your mind. Please share your thoughts with me at mpalker@imanet.org.
October 2016
