CAREER CORNER


USAASC PE R S PE C T I VE FROM THE DI R ECTOR , U.S. ARMY ACQUISITION SUPPORT CENTER CERTIFICATION—THE PROFESSIONAL EDGE


O


ur relevance to the men and women in uniform remains our ability, as acquisition professionals, to provide the weapons, information systems,


Craig A. Spisak Director, U.S. Army


services, and processes that are the most techno- logically advanced and most capable in the world, as quickly as possible. The key to doing this well is having the best-prepared professionals working in the acquisition system.


Acquisition Support Center


Getting certified is just the beginning. It is equally important that you maintain your relevance and currency throughout your career. Similar to a Cer- tified Public Accountant, who has to continually accumulate education credits to maintain certi- fication, acquisition professionals must maintain


their proficiency in the acquisition community and stay up to date in order to be relevant.


That is why certification in your Acquisition Career Field (ACF), certification in other ACFs, and preparing for and becoming a member of the U.S. Army Acquisition Corps (AAC) are so important. These are the foundational aspects of becoming an acquisition professional—not where your career development goals should end, but rather a good place to start building a suc- cessful acquisition career.


Being a true professional starts with having a current Individual Development Plan (IDP), which is your guide to obtaining the training and education necessary to become certified. If you are not using the IDP, you are probably not staying current and can- not get training. A current IDP, combined with work experience, education, and continuous learning, leads to certification. All of these factors determine whether you are certified and are selected for promotion, competitive opportunities, and, eventually, AAC membership.


One avenue to use in retaining skills is competing for oppor- tunities under Section 852 of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, including leadership training, functional skill development, rotational assignments, Congressional Opera- tions Seminar, and more. All of the opportunities are listed at http://live.usaasc.info/career-development/852-program/ini- tiatives. Obviously, basic certification requirements in your ACF are mandatory, but understanding the broader acquisition mis- sion through the training mentioned above may help you better prepare for positions of greater responsibility.


Obtaining a basic understanding of other ACFs is also important to career development. When you are certifying in a particular ACF, you probably will participate in training taught by other functional areas. Going beyond your basic certification require- ments expands your knowledge and increases your breadth of understanding while helping you avoid stagnating in the status quo.


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Army AL&T Magazine


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