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Learning & Development: A Real Profession with Real Skills

If you work in Learning & Development, you’ve probably had to explain, more than once, that no, an off-the-shelf compliance module is not a leadership development strategy.

And yet, one of the biggest questions I hear is:

Do you need certifications to succeed in L&D?

If you were hoping for a simple yes or no, sorry, this isn’t a magic 8-ball. It depends.

It depends on:

• Where you’re coming from – Your past experience, existing skills, and knowledge of L&D.
• Where you want to go – The type of L&D role you’re aiming for (facilitator, instructional designer, strategist, Chief Learning Officer?).
• Your knowledge gaps – Because not all certifications are created equal. Some will genuinely level up your expertise, while others will just make you really good at reciting outdated theories from 50 years ago.

So, let’s break it down:

• If you’re new to L&D, where should you start?
• If you’re switching careers, what’s actually worth your time?
• If you’re already in L&D but want to move up, do certifications matter?
• And if you’re like me, obsessed with continuous learning, how do you choose what will actually make a difference?

Meet the Four People Trying to Make It in L&D

L&D is one of those wonderful, weird professions where people come from all kinds of backgrounds. So instead of speaking in generalities, let’s make it real. Here are four types of people trying to break into—or grow within—L&D.

1️⃣ The Newcomer – No Experience, Just a Gut Feeling

Meet Alex. Fresh out of university (or maybe hasn’t even gone yet). No idea what an LMS is. But something about L&D just feels right. Maybe they’ve always loved teaching or mentoring others, or maybe they’re just fascinated by how people learn.

Where should Alex start?

If college is an option, degrees in Organizational Psychology, HR, or Business with a focus on Talent Development can help.

If not, Alex needs practical experience:

✅ Volunteer to run training sessions in community groups.

✅ Shadow an L&D professional.

✅ Take free courses on instructional design, facilitation, and performance consulting.

Certifications alone won’t replace real-world learning, but they can provide structure when there’s no other option.

2️⃣ The Career Switcher – Drawn to L&D Like a Moth to a Flame

Next up, meet Jamie. Never planned to work in L&D but somehow ended up being the person who explains things to others, whether in finance, marketing, sales, or another field.

Now Jamie is making it official but doesn’t know where to start. Instructional design? Coaching? Consulting? There’s no L&D sorting hat to assign them a specialty.

For career switchers like Jamie, the challenge isn’t capability, it’s credibility.

What should Jamie do?

1. Identify the part of L&D that excites them.
2. Choose a certification that builds on their existing skills:
   • Love designing training? Try a Learning Experience Design certification.
   • Passionate about leadership development? A coaching or consulting program might be better.
   • Want to drive strategy? A business-focused L&D program will help.

Jamie doesn’t need to start from scratch. Just translate what they already do into the language of L&D.

3️⃣ The Mid-Career L&D Pro – Feeling Stuck

Taylor has been in L&D for years, knows how to build engaging training programs, and has run countless leadership sessions. And yet… they feel like they’ve hit a wall.

They keep getting buy-in for training but not recognition as a strategic partner. Leadership sees them as the “training department” instead of a function that drives business success.

What should Taylor do?

• The problem isn’t skill, it’s business acumen.
• Taylor needs to move beyond course completions and engagement rates and start talking about revenue impact, efficiency gains, and talent retention.
• The right certification will help them align L&D with business strategy and communicate in a way that leadership actually understands.

4️⃣ The Lifelong Learner – It Never Ends

And then there’s me, but we’ll name this character Jordan. Jordan didn’t stumble into L&D. They ran full speed into it, arms open, probably carrying a laser pointer. They got a combination of L&D degrees, leadership degrees, and business degrees, and never stopped learning.

Why? Because L&D is a field that never stops evolving.

The biggest mistake in L&D? Relying on what we already know.

We love to talk about continuous learning, but how many L&D professionals are still using models from the 1950s? The way people work and learn has changed. If we don’t challenge outdated thinking, we’ll become obsolete.

What should Jordan do?

1. Make sure learning isn’t just about accumulating degrees and certifications. Apply what you learn in real-world settings.
2. Stay ahead of industry trends by continuously questioning and improving learning methodologies.
3. Engage with modern business challenges. Learning is not just about L&D; it’s about how L&D drives business success.
4. Network with professionals who challenge conventional wisdom and push for innovation in workplace learning.

Because having a collection of degrees and certifications doesn’t automatically make you great at what you do. How you apply them in practice is what truly matters.

How to Decide if a Certification Is Worth It

If you’re considering a certification, ask yourself these five questions:

1️⃣ Budget – Can you afford it, or will your employer pay?

• Some are a few hundred bucks, others are $15,000+.
• Will your employer cover it? Do they recognize its value? If not, never allow a stingy, short-sighted company stop your growth!

2️⃣ ROI – Will it actually help your career?

• Are you using it to switch careers, move up, or gain credibility?
• If it’s not opening doors or giving you new skills, is it worth it?

3️⃣ Time Commitment – Can you handle it alongside your job?

• If you’re juggling work and life, be honest about how much time you can commit.

4️⃣ Credibility – Is it respected in the field?

• Is it recognized by industry organizations like ATD, SHRM, or CIPD?

5️⃣ Engagement – Is the training any good?

• If the content is boring, outdated, or just checking a box… run. Run away and never return.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

So, do you need a certification? Maybe. Maybe not. But here’s what I do know:

• A certification won’t make you an expert. Continuous learning and application will.
• If you don’t invest in your development, no one else will.
• L&D is a strategic function, but only when you position yourself as one.
• You could do it alone, but why would you. Join us every Wednesday in The L&D Lounge for conversations that matter, with people who get it.

Because here’s the truth: Nobody is coming to give you permission to grow. If you want to stop being an order-taker and start being a strategic partner in L&D, you have to take ownership of your own development. And that starts now.

Until next time,

Keep learning, keep growing, and keep being your amazing self.

Candice Mitchell

Oh, go on… you know you want to connect with me over on Instagram. It’s been such fun!

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