By Tiffany Shepherd, CAE
KCSAE Director

It is that time of year again.  You go to the ASAE website and pull up the page on the CAE. You realize that you meet the requirements and now it is time to make the big decision – to CAE or not to CAE.  Well, attention all you association professionals out there…the answer to the above questions is a resounding YES!  I was in your shoes a few years ago and asked myself this very same thing.  Is the CAE for me? Do I qualify? Do I really want to study for the next 6 months and take a 4 hour test?  What are the benefits for me?  I’m sure these and many other thoughts are going through your head while you are trying to make the decision to take the CAE exam.  I will not lie to you – it was a very time consuming and vigorous process to go through -but in the end it was worth it. As my mentor, Hannes Combest, told me…Tiffany, you have to do it. Yes, Ma’am!

 If you are dedicated to being an association executive and have decided that this is your career path then you owe it to yourself to become a CAE.  Just a few of the advantages include:

1. You get a really cool CAE pin.  Very stylish.
2. Gain a broad knowledge of association management.  You will learn more about association law than you EVER wanted to  know but you will be surprised at how often you will call on what you learned in your everyday work.
3. Shows your dedication to your career.   In my mind, my CAE is equivalent to a Master’s Degree in Association Management.  It shows that I am willing to continue to enhance my knowledge and learn to benefit not only myself but also my employer. 
4. Improves your value and recognition to your employer, members, board and possible future employers. The CAE shows that you have a great base of knowledge to build your skills on and are also willing to continue to broaden that base. The better informed you are, the more valuable you are. 

If you want to know more about the CAE the best thing to do is ask. Talk to someone in your association or another member at KCSAE.  We are all willing to answer any questions you may have and offer encouragement. We have walked in your shoes.  Also, KCSAE will also be putting on an ALL NEW CAE Study Class beginning later this summer. Sign up for it! This is a great chance to meet with other people to study for the test together and get your brain in the right learning mode. Trust me, there will be moments of overload, but hang in there, it is well worth it. Good luck and happy studying!