Launch Your Career by Earning an APICS CPIM Certification

Competition within the supply chain job marketplace has grown rapidly over the last decade. College students, entry level personnel and professionals searching to grow their career need to do a lot more to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Earning a Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) designation from APICS is among the most effective strategies to do this.

What is the value of a CPIM certification from APICS?

• Gives you a competitive edge in a very competitive job market place. Getting the CPIM designation demonstrates your willingness to go above and beyond your prior education, and it shows that you are determined to become the very best at what you do. College students entering the supply chain workforce using a CPIM certification are additional most likely to obtain a 13% greater starting salary.

• Improves your credibility and expert profile amongst your peers and prospective employers. Labeling yourself with the CPIM designation informs every person that you are subject matter expert in the production and inventory management arena.

• Boosts your resume by providing you with focused and highly relevant skills desired by most employers. Most employers list CPIM as a desired and sometimes even a needed certification in production planning, procurement, logistics and also other supply chain related job postings.

Provides the foundation for other certifications, like Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and Institute for Supply Management (ISM) certifications. What you learn while studying for and passing the 5 exams can often be applied to a lot of the other supply chain certifications, especially if the other certifications are taken inside two years of passing the CPIM exams.

A CPIM generally takes about six months to a year to complete all five exams. The tests are not easy. Based on APICS the CPIM pass rate for 2010 was around 68%, so passing them is an excellent achievement. There are several ways to prepare for the exam; although many people take online or group classes, the majority chooses self-study approaches like CPIM study guides and CPIM practice questions to prepare for the exams.

last time modified: Jan. 9, 2012, 4:56 a.m.