Career support goes beyond the badge
The most competitive credential programs don’t stop at awarding the credential — they build career accelerators that extend its value long after the issue date. These are services, tools, and connections that operate independently of the credential itself but directly address two market priorities: employers’ need for better talent pipelines and learners’ need for tangible career outcomes.
Offer an online directory
Our 2024 State of Credentialing research found that 84% of learners want to be featured in an online directory to connect with future opportunities — whether internally within a company and/or accessible to prospective employers.
The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) saw this demand firsthand. Despite expecting low uptake — many of its learners are more private about publicizing achievements — the opposite happened. “As we rolled out our directory, we expected low opt‑in — yet 97% of learners chose to participate. Learners want visibility when it’s easy and trusted,” says Chanelle Huff, Senior Manager, Certifications & Large Programs. NAVC’s directory now includes nearly 3,300 members.
This year’s employer data reveals the other half of the equation: 75% of HR and talent leaders either already use such directories or would be interested in doing so.
75%
of employers already use or want access to online directories of credentialed talent.
Yet despite this clear demand, only 37% of issuers provide a directory today — leaving a major market gap.
Snowflake, for example, launched its online directory in 2023 and has grown it to over 5,100 certified members. Tara Miller, Certification Operations Program Manager, calls it “a way to quickly and easily identify applicable Snowflake skills, benefiting both our certified population and the employers seeking them.” She sees the directory as a strategic tool to close skills gaps by giving hiring teams a pool of certified talent that’s searchable, filterable — by skill, location, or even work availability — and that reduces recruiting costs and boosts career visibility for credential holders.
This represents a triple-win:
- Learners gain career visibility and discoverability.
- Employers access a curated pipeline of pre-qualified candidates.
- Issuers position their programs as essential talent resources, strengthening alumni engagement and market credibility.
Beyond the Badge: How Online Directories Elevate Credential Value & Visibility
See how a branded, searchable directory can turn your credential holders into a trusted talent network — with real-world examples like Snowflake — and open new opportunities for learners and employers alike.
Proactively guide learners to additional courses
The most successful issuers don’t leave the next step to chance — they engineer it. In the 2024 State of Credentialing report, 96% of learners said they wanted clear pathways to help them master a skill, making guided progression no longer optional.
Our data shows that successful issuers consistently outperform their peers in every tactic for driving continued learning. They are far more likely to:
- Share their full course catalog (71% vs. 49%)
- Offer pre-designed learning pathways or sequences (64% vs. 45%)
- Provide personalized recommendations based on a learner’s progress (42% vs. 29%)
These recommendations are often delivered through automated email sequences highlighting relevant programs, in-platform prompts tied to completed courses, and clear pathway visuals showing progression opportunities. Successful issuers are also twice as likely to send tailored incentives for future courses or credentials once a program is completed, keeping learners engaged and momentum high.
The payoff extends beyond revenue and retention. By creating a steady pipeline of increasingly skilled, credentialed professionals, issuers make it easier for employers to find and trust qualified talent.
Connect learners to career opportunities
The final — and arguably most transformative — career accelerator is connecting learners directly to job opportunities. Successful issuers are twice as likely as their peers to provide career recommendations, turning their credential programs into active career advancement engines rather than passive records of achievement.
These recommendations can take many forms — job board partnerships, employer networking events, career coaching services, or direct introductions to hiring partners. When done well, they create a self-reinforcing ecosystem where:
- Learners gain concrete job opportunities and upward mobility.
- Employers tap into a vetted pipeline of qualified, motivated candidates.
- Issuers prove clear ROI and differentiate their programs in a crowded market.
The strategic advantage of alignment
When issuers align employer needs with learner ambitions, they become trusted talent partners, not just course providers. Learners achieve better career outcomes, employers gain a dependable pipeline, and credentials earn lasting recognition and demand — turning proof of learning into a bridge to opportunity.
Successful issuers play differently
The strategies covered so far succeed only when built on strong operational foundations. Our research reveals the specific practices that distinguish the highest-performing credentialing programs, and how issuers can adopt them to scale impact and growth.
