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PPB
You earned your CAS and
MAS within 12 months. Was this a
planned effort, and if so, what kind
of preparation did you go through to
accomplish this feat?
O’Neill
It sounds tougher than it
was. For my entire career I’ve valued
attending professional development at
every conference that I attended; I just
never bothered to start the paperwork
for certification.
When I did decide that having
my certification was a goal I checked
my transcripts, and I also applied
for extra credits for my time in the
industry and for my service on our
regional association board many
years back. When it was all said
and done I had more than enough
units for my CAS and was close to
the target for my MAS. I took the
CAS exam that year, finished up my
remaining few units for my MAS at
the same PPAI conference and sat
for the MAS exam the following year.
PPB
What were some of the
webinars or live education events
that you most enjoyed, or that
most surprised you with their
relevance to your work?
O’Neill
I believe that understanding
product safety is a significant
component of being a professional in
this industry, and once PPAI developed
the curriculum for Product Safety
Aware, I made sure that all of my sales
team and I did the webinars together.
PPB
How will having these
designations elevate your business
among clients, and how can
certification improve the industry as
a whole?
O’Neill
I use my MAS designation
in my email signature and on my
business cards and I’ve had a few
customers ask about it. But for
the most part, we don’t earn our
customers’ trust with a designation;
we do that with our actions. Within
the industry, however, I do think that
having a CAS or MAS designation
signals a level of professionalism to
supplier and distributor colleagues.
opportunities as well as PPAI events and
online webinars.
To recognize and reward the effort
it takes to achieve certification, Geiger
provides an incentive bonus of up to
$750 for CAS and/or MAS certification,
depending upon the length of time it
takes to complete the requirements and
pass the exam. Associates who are not
required to achieve certification may
do so on a voluntary basis and are still
eligible to earn the incentive bonus.
Professional development through
ongoing education is a key part of Geiger’s
workplace philosophy, says Bosse.
Tim O’Neill, MAS
Image Masters
Tim O’Neill earned his CAS designation at The PPAI Expo
2014, and went on to earn his MAS the following year.
PROFILES IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Within the industry,
I do think that
having a CAS or
MAS designation
signals a level of
professionalism
to supplier and
distributor colleagues.
Head Of The Class
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FEATURE
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JANUARY 2017
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33