How AMA and Earning a Certificate Can Change Your Future

Last week, I was reading articles about the student loans bubble in the US. Each year more and more people are investing in getting a higher education. However, some people after graduating are not able to pay off their student loans. According to the Financial Times, there was 1.3 billion dollars in student debt in 2016 and the number of students who default on their payments has been increasing each year.

Whether you have taken out a loan or not, you are investing a lot of money in a bachelor’s degree that many others are getting too. We live in a competitive world where getting a bachelor’s degree does not necessarily mean you will automatically get the job that you want. For this reason, doing your best to attend classes and pass your exams is not enough. It is necessary to differentiate yourself from the competition and show employers that you are an individual who is willing to do more and stand out from a crowd.

One way that you can do so is by joining clubs such as the American Marketing Association (AMA). AMA not only helps you stay informed of today’s business/marketing trends and gives you the possibility to network with a lot of people, but also gives you the possibility to earn certificates, which most of them are free for its members, helping you with your professional development.

If you get involved in AMA you can have access to these certificates and many more free resources available only for its members. This semester, Spring 2017, USF-AMA is giving its members the chance to get the career development and professional sales certificate. However, there are many more that you can complete the following semesters or on your own.

AMA can definitely help you reach your professional goals and make your investment in education worth it.