ux field - Is taking the CUA (certified Usability analyst) certification worth it?

I see a lot of people taking this certification nowadays and I wonder if its actually worth it and how is it received by the industry and does it really help in bringing you up to speed with UX and usability best practices. Can anyone who has taken the exam before provide inputs on its benefits and also its cons if any.

I did see the question Certified Usability Professional and David's answer did mention that he found it useful but I would like to get more context in what sense people might find it useful and how it could potentially supplement or enhance a career.

Answer

I completed the CUA course back in 2008-9 (I think) followed by the exam a few months later. Although I have a Degree in a related field (Graphic and Interactive Design), I wanted to suppliment this with a UX specific certification.

The course was certainly useful. For the most part it reassured me that my level of existing knowledge was sound, and helped to backup areas of weakness. The module on research was of particular interest, not coming from a particularly research heavy background.

However, I didn't think the module on Design was of particular use.

From a career perspective, at the time, it helped to position me as the UX specialist within the company. However, I don't think it has had much if any impact on me securing subsequent roles. The jobs I've held since have been more about prior experience and current knowledge. Maybe the certificate helped when companies were reviewing my CV, but I don't it would have been a deciding factor. Maybe if you're less experienced (I have 14 years industry experience) it would be of greater benefit.

The job I was in at the time was with a Design agency. In that context the certification was very useful. When we were pitching for new work and introducing the team, it was always mentioned within my bio to help position me as a specialist. In my current role (working internally within a Financial org) it's still recognised, but in my opinion carries little weight.

However, in my old role, I would have liked to have established it as a course for all team members to undertake to ensure a strong and consistent base knowledge. I'd like to do something similar in my new role, as many of the people performing a UX function are from more of a Business Analysis background and educating them on UX will take time.

So in summary:

PROS

• Helped to position me as a specialist within a large team


• Helped my agency win work and position itself as UCD focused


• Would be good as a recognised benchmark across a team with mixed abilities and experience


• Attending the courses enabled me to network with other likeminded people, of which many remain as contacts today


• Certain areas covered were of great interest and helped me to approach things more professionally (e.g. research techniques)

CONS

• Expensive if undertaking the whole course + exam


• Made little if any difference when applying for new jobs


• Experience and knowledge counts for far more


• Recognised within UX circles, but people have mixed opinions of it, outside of the industry it's rarely recognised.


• Mixed opinions on the course material, didn't feel like my knowledge improved significantly