Getting a national or state certification based on your ethnicity, gender, or military service can help open doors to recognition. While obtaining these certifications is straightforward, it does require dedicated effort and research. There are nationally recognized websites such as https://nmsdc.org/certifications/certif ication-process/ and state or government sites: https://fsmsdc.org/certified-mbe or https://www.mdot.maryland.gov/tso/p ages/index.aspx?pageid=90 to help you start your certification journey. Each state and even some cities may have separate certifications, but the great news is that most require about 85% of the same information. This means you can apply across multiple organizations efficiently. However, be prepared to pay application fees, and know that approvals typically take four to six months, depending on their backlog.
I won't sugarcoat it—some required materials may seem excessive just to prove your identity. For instance, I had to provide my mother's birth certificate, which identified her as Black (or Negro, in my mother's case), to verify my minority status. While it may seem extreme, I understood this was necessary to prevent certification fraud. Visit these sites or the official ones in your state. Review the materials page to see what's needed, and start gathering the information from the checklist. While I personally completed this with a trusted team member, you could hire a company to file the paperwork—but you'll still need to gather materials yourself. My thought process was: if I have to do the hard work of collecting information, why pay someone hundreds of dollars to submit it?
SERVICE MAGAZINE
54
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software