How the CMP Changed My Life
In May of 2011 I lost my job. I had worked at the company for over five years and suddenly found myself unemployed. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t even see it coming. I felt a rush of emotions. I must have been blind, I thought. "How could this happen to me." "What did I do wrong?" I even became irritated, thinking, "they’re going to regret letting me go as I know I’m an invaluable asset." What I came to learn as I was going through these emotions is that losing a job unexpectedly brings on a form of grieving. My pride was wounded, knowing that they would do just fine without me.
It didn’t help that I live in the nation’s capital where everyone introduces themselves by what they do for a living. But on the bright side, I was in the nation’s capital giving me more job opportunities. The challenge was, "How do I get noticed in an ever expanding, over-qualified, pool of applicants?"
There is no quick and easy answer to getting back on the fast-track; it’s a process and an emotional rollercoaster. As a planner, I plan and while this wasn’t a part of my plan, I had to trudge forward. Step one was to figure out how to pay my bills. So along with all my office supplies, I packed up my pride, too. I went back to serving tables at a local restaurant. It didn’t require much training and I could have cash in hand in as early as a week. I had to work nights and weekends and no longer had benefits, but it paid the bills.
Step two was to dust off my resume and update it with flashy active voice words like supervised, maximized and organized. I set up job search agents through companies like ASAE & The Center, PCMA and Indeed. I tracked every job I applied to through my own personal spreadsheet in Excel. I didn’t want to get caught off guard if an employer contacted me and I couldn’t remember when and how I had applied to the position.
As I was going through this step, I reminded myself that just because I wasn’t currently employed in a position as a meeting planner didn’t mean I wasn’t still a meeting planner. I had embarked on a career as a meeting professional over seven years ago, and that hadn’t changed. I quickly realized this was the perfect time for me to sit for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) examination. I had no work distractions, I had no excuses. I had submitted my application a year earlier, meeting the requirements and had for one reason or another put off taking the three hour exam. Now was the time to sit for it because the CMP designation represented three initials that I needed behind my name to give me that added leg-up when grabbing the attention of hiring managers. The highly regarded CMP designation is well known in the industry as a comprehensive tool that sets apart the expert planners from the average party organizer.
The next step was to study. When you’re pursuing your passion, studying for it is much easier than you would think. It was the procrastination in studying that was causing more stress than the actual exam itself. I got together with a PCMA study group, which made learning the material fun and a great networking opportunity. After we all took the exam, we connected on LinkedIn and discussed the exam questions. The accreditor of the examination, the Convention Industry Council, even encourages feedback and comments on the questions.
What came next? "I passed!" I am now in a class of over 14,000 experts in the meetings, conventions and exhibition industry. I felt back on-top as I added it to my resume and on LinkedIn profile. Holding the designation has increased my marketability one hundred percent by putting my resume ahead of other candidates.
I am grateful for what the CMP designation has done for my career. Earning my CMP was the next step that I needed to ensure my success. Not only did I get a position as a meeting professional, but I advanced in my position! I am now with the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) as their Manager of Conferences and Member Services. Earning the certificate encouraged me to push forward in my job search, reinforced my commitment to the profession and gave me the confidence to pursue my passion towards finding the right organization for me. I hold the certification proudly.
Christina M. Desmond, CMP
Manager, Conferences and Member Services
American Frozen Food Institute
Events Industry Council