“whenever I see some big name lecturer or partner at a firm they usually have multiple certifications. The guy who was a lecturer at my work today was a CPA, CIA, CMA, CGFM, and something else.”
I think you just have to keep it in context. Certifications, without appropriate work experience, are marginally helpful IMO. This lecturer you mentioned might have gotten those certifications in a specific order which makes sense. Such as:
He graduates, goes to work in a Cost Accounting role, gets a CMA while there. After a bit he decides he wants to try his hand at auditing, gets his CPA, makes himself a more attractive candidate, and works audit for 5-7 years. Then he transfers to an Internal Audit department, figures “”what the hell” and gets his CIA certification. Finally, the CGMA comes out, he already has a CPA, and decides to go ahead and pay the fee or whatever to get the certification.
Now he's paying dues for the CMA, CIA, CPA (maybe the CGMA), when I would argue he only needs the CPA and CIA at this point.
I mean, it's a fictional scenario, but my point remains the same: Having a CMA/CPA/CFA does not automatically make you an expert. But it is an indicator that you COULD be if you had the right experience. On the other hand, maybe you just took the exam in school, qualified for the experience years ago, moved on to another job, and never used it again. Who knows.
At the end of the day, perception sometimes become reality. So certifications are also helpful signaling devices that show you're motivated and committed enough to pass some exams. To sum up, they're nice, but it's the specific experience behind the certifications that truly give them their “power” so to say. Only passing a bunch of exams does much less.
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