IDA Recertification – Not As Scary As It Sounds!

What a wonderful feeling! You just completed your IDA certification, your certificate is on its way to you as you patiently wait to frame it and mount it above your counter, and your official IDA patches will soon be proudly placed on your sleeve for you to wear with pride!

THIS is an accomplishment to be proud of, and THIS is something you can be proud of for the rest of your life. What comes next though? Something that many people tend to lose sight of in the excitement of becoming certified, is that achieving IDA certification comes with high standards, high regard, and continued education. The IDA requires that all CD, CD-SV, and CD-SV, Recognized Trainers must submit for recertification every 2-years from their original certification date. This means that everyone has 730 days to establish 8 hours of continued education experience.

Sounds pretty easy right? We also know that people have busy schedules, and these 8 hours can sometimes be hard to come by, so we wanted to offer up a few ideas of easy ways to get your 8 hours of continued education under your belt, and keep focusing on your business at the same time.

1. Webinars - This is listed as number one for a reason. Did you know that the IDA produces webinars on a monthly basis? Did you know that they are approximately an hour long, and often-times filled with valuable and current information for peers in the detailing industry? These are very easy opportunities to knock out an hour of continued education over your lunch break, or on an early weekend morning as you enjoy your coffee and watch the sun come up. The best part of this option is that you DO NOT need to listen to the live broadcast of the webinar! As an IDA member, you have access to archives of webinars dating back through recent years available to you whenever you have the chance to listen!

2. Mobile Tech Expo – As if there was not already enough reason to attend MTE (Mobile Tech Expo), the IDA always strives to hold education sessions at MTE with leaders in the industry and updated – valuable information. It is important to remember that on any given day of the year, you are only able to submit a max of 4 continued education hours… unless they are from MTE. That’s right! You could knock out all 8 hours of your required continued education credits by simply attending a full day of education at MTE which happens every year! MTE isn’t just about networking and the expo anymore. Education day is becoming EXTREMELY popular and valuable as new products and innovations hit the market and industry.

3. Miscellaneous Education – This one might sound weird, but it seems to be one of the most popular options recently. One of the biggest membership benefits through the IDA is networking opportunities. There are members of the IDA that have spent most of their career striving to better themselves and their business, but also improve the industry and gain more recognition as a respectable field. These driven people are often holding education and training sessions across the globe and could quite possibly be right in your backyard. Plug in, get involved, and keep an eye on the-IDA.com and Facebook page to get updates on education opportunities.

The most important thing to remember, is that the IDA will always continue to strive to be a group of the BEST and most respected detailers in the industry. We firmly believe that education opportunities not only reaffirm the IDA certifications and the individuals that have obtained them; they also provide consistent opportunities to further your knowledge of business operations, customer service, holding yourself higher than the competition, and getting updates on top, new, and innovative methods or products. What an opportunity to continue to grow, and know that you are a step ahead of the rest!