CPC Certification Team

CPC Certification Program: Elevating Standards in Career Development

Career Professionals of Canada (CPC) is proud to uphold the highest standards in the career development profession through our CPC Certification Program.

Our program recognises and validates the expertise of practitioners across a range of essential competencies, including career strategy, work-life strategy, interview strategy, employment strategy, and résumé strategy.

Through rigorous assessment and evaluation, CPC ensures that certified professionals meet the benchmark for excellence in their field, providing employers, clients, and colleagues with confidence in their skills and knowledge.

The CPC Certification Team is accountable for overseeing the CPC Certification Program. Certification Assessors evaluate the work product submitted by practitioners. They review, assess, and mark submissions and make their recommendations for conferring the Certified Career Strategist (CCS), Certified Work-Life Strategist (CWS), Certified Interview Strategist (CIS), Certified Employment Strategist (CES), and Certified Résumé Strategist (CRS) designations to successful practitioners.

CPC is also committed to recognising and promoting excellence within the Canadian career field through our Awards of Excellence Program. This initiative honours outstanding individuals and organisations, highlighting the highest standards of quality, ethics, and expertise in the profession. Awards Judges, who are drawn from the pool of Certification Assessors, evaluate submissions independently and impartially, using tabulation forms and established nomination procedures. After completing evaluations, judges meet to discuss and finalise award recipients.

Professional Designations Offered

The CPC Certification Program confers the following professional designations to qualified career practitioners:

• Certified Career Strategist (CCS)

• Certified Employment Strategist (CES)

• Certified Interview Strategist (CIS)

• Certified Résumé Strategist (CRS)

• Certified Work-Life Strategist (CWS)

Each designation reflects a practitioner’s deep expertise, practical experience, and commitment to maintaining professional standards.

About the Awards of Excellence Program

The Awards of Excellence Program is one of CPC’s most significant initiatives. It allows CPC to:

• Promote quality, ethics, and expertise within the career development field

• Enhance the capabilities, profile, and visibility of our members

• Encourage members in advancing the goals of their career services

• Give back to the Canadian career community and labour market

Active CPC members are eligible to be nominated for these prestigious awards, making recognition both meaningful and aspirational.

The CPC Certification Team

The CPC Certification Team is responsible for upholding the integrity, quality, and fairness of CPC’s certification and awards processes.

• Certification Assessors evaluate applications and provide recommendations for awarding professional designations (CCS, CWS, CIS, CES, CRS).

• Awards Judges are drawn from the pool of Certification Assessors and must demonstrate objectivity, fairness, and knowledge of the profession. Judges independently evaluate award submissions, complete tabulation forms, and meet with fellow judges to finalise recipients.

The team upholds CPC’s Code of Professional Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy, ensuring all evaluation and judging reflects honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability.

Why CPC Certification & Awards Matter

By participating in CPC programs, practitioners and their clients benefit from a standard of excellence recognised across Canada. Certified professionals and award recipients gain:

• Professional Credibility: Demonstrates proven expertise in career development competencies and recognition of outstanding contributions.

• Skill Validation: Confirms mastery of core career, work-life, interview, employment, and résumé strategies.

• Recognition in the Field: Positions certified members as trusted, highly qualified career practitioners and acknowledges exceptional achievements through awards.

• Client Confidence: Offers assurance to employers and clients that services are delivered with competence, integrity, and professionalism.

• Inspiration and Professional Growth: Recognition encourages continuous improvement, motivates excellence, and fosters engagement in the career development community.