CAE Candidates: Your hard work is about to pay off!
By Cecilia Sepp, CAE
Today we are about one month away from the start of the December 2022 CAE Exam period, which runs December 1 – 14. If you are taking the exam next month, you have already prepared by joining a study group, working with a study buddy, or taking a course. Heck, you may have done all these things!
The good news to share is that your hard work over the last 3 to 4 months is about to pay off. You are going to sit for the exam and earn the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. This is the one credential that sets us apart from other professionals. We are Nonprofit Professionals and that means something.
You may be feeling anxious and tired because all this work had to fit in with everything else you do, from keeping up with your “real job” to doing the laundry and taking care of yourself and your family. It may seem more intimidating now than it did when you started this journey.
So, let’s go back to the why of the CAE.
Earning the CAE credential is a statement about your commitment to the profession and your personal professional development. It means that you are serious about the work we do as nonprofit professionals and you want the world to know that we are a distinct and separate profession committed to making the world a better place.
It’s a milestone and a personal success story. We all have our CAE stories whether we passed the first time or have seen the exam more than once. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen the exam; it matters that you made the commitment, and you are going to see it through until the letters CAE are after your name.
As a CAE Candidate and a CAE, you are an ambassador for our profession. You exhibit ethical and professional behavior. You are a role model to others. This is the achievement of the CAE process. You’ve worked hard for it, and you will earn it.
Keep a positive mindset. Take time to think. And remember that it’s not a content exam.
As my friend Cheryl Ronk, CAE, says “You’ve got this!”
