To get Silver and Gold certified or not

I cannot make up my mind either to get certified or not. Is it worth it or just a scam?

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I will let others weigh in on the question of value in certifications. If you are referring to MSPA certifications, they are most certainly not a scam.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

When I started MSing in 2005, I did get Silver Certified through the MSPA. While there have been some, I don't believe that more than 10% (and that's probably a stretch) of any and all job offers that I've been interested in were offered to me because I was Silver Certified. Now, this may have more to do with the types of jobs I'm interested in, as I only do this very part-time at the present time. When I started in 2005, I worked at MSing a good bit more than I do now, but still don't feel that there was much of a difference in jobs offered because of my Silver certification. But all in all, I believe the MSCs are more interested in having reliable and competent shoppers who complete the job as agreed upon in the guidelines.

Now, I must say that I have read other shoppers who say they have been offered jobs first because of their certification. Again, it may be because of the types of jobs they were interested in. It will be interesting to read any other responses that other shoppers may offer. But, as Lisa stated, it is not a scam.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2017 02:50PM by guysmom.

Because shoppers have been having problems for a couple of years now with MSC web sites not being able to accept MSPA certification codes, it's pretty much a moot point. If you cannot register the certification, the MSCs cannot provide recognition for it, so it becomes worthless. If the situation with the certification codes not being recognized has been remedied, I have not yet heard about it. Maybe you should do a search on the forum to see recent posts about MSPA certifications to clarify the situation.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I'm Silver Certified since the beginning. I notice many MSC's have a place for your Gold or Silver, certification number but I wouldn't pay a lot for it. I think mine cost 15.00 and lasts a lifetime.

Live consciously....

I think that getting to know your schedulers and MSCs is more important than being Certified. Being Certified does not necessarily make you a better shopper. Reliability and submitting on time is more important. I am silver certified which I did in the beginning, I wouldn't bother to get gold certified.

Would you say the certification gave you tools/tips/tricks that made you more efficient/effective on how you work and write reviews ultimately saving you time? I just finished my first gig and feel I spent a lot of time writing and editing, so I need to find ways to be more effective. I am guessing the course cuts the learning curve? Do I gather the certification is more for you than the MSC?

@RHFL wrote:

Would you say the certification gave you tools/tips/tricks that made you more efficient/effective on how you work and write reviews ultimately saving you time?

No....lots of experience doing shops, following guidelines, and well-written reports gave me the experience I needed. The Silver certification was just basic MS stuff, if I remember. You can learn all that here under the "New Shopper" section, honestly.

I thought at the time I got it in the beginning of my MSing, that it would make the companies feel I was a serious shopper. I was naive and did think that, have no regrets, but you certainly can shop by proving yourself, it is not a necessity.

Live consciously....

I am not sure why anyone would get it. I took the course and it was nothing more, actually a lot less than what I have learned here for no money at all. Then I noticed they want you to pay for a lot of other certifications like ethics, writing and some others I can't think of, I do not think I will be doing that since it cannot be added anywhere anyway.

@RHFL wrote:

Would you say the certification gave you tools/tips/tricks that made you more efficient/effective on how you work and write reviews ultimately saving you time?

Laughing pretty hard here until I realized you weren't joking. The answer is no. You're much better off clicking on some of the names of the more experienced shoppers here and reading what they've written. If you need help polishing your writing, do a few jobs for Coyle. Their editors can be brutal, but it's all constructive criticism.

"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams

I am getting addicted to the forum it is definitively the best source found to date. It is conducive to hording notes and links for future needs. Thanks also for the tip on Coyle.

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