What’s Your CEBS Story? Sarah Corrigan, CEBS

Earning your Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) designation is a learning journey. Along the way, you acquire valuable employee benefits knowledge and relevant new skills. As you apply what you’ve learned to your work, you can forge a unique career pathway that is truly your own. Here’s a designee’s CEBS story.

A Chat With Sarah Corrigan, CEBS

Could you describe how earning your CEBS designation has supported you in your professional growth?

I work for a group benefits and retirement brokerage. Upon earning my CEBS designation, I became the account manager. Our industry is incredibly competitive. When a prospective client is searching for a broker and they see that they hold the CEBS designation, a trust is instantly formed because they know that anyone holding those letters has put in the time and effort to learn about what they’re selling.  Clients know that the professional background and knowledge are there without having to dig deeper.

Could you share a story about how you prepared for your CEBS exams and applied what you learned to your work?

When I pursued my CEBS designation, I had been out of a learning environment for ten years. Not since university did I have to spend my nights buried in textbooks. I’ll admit, it was a daunting task to cram binders’ worth of benefit and retirement knowledge into my brain, but what I found amazing and unlike any previous learning experience was how quickly I was able to apply my new-found knowledge.

Take in the content in small chunks. There is a lot of information.  It can be overwhelming to be staring at a massive Study Guide, but break it down.  Coffee is your friend!

Could you share some insight about how pursuing your CEBS demonstrates that you are an expert in your profession?

The great thing about the CEBS program is that it has all relevant content that is constantly being updated. I was already working for my current employer at the time as an administrative assistant, and I was able to apply what I was reading to my work on day one. There is no wasted information in these courses, and even now, I find myself referring to the Study Guides.

Having the CEBS designation has earned me a level of credibility with our clients that I would not otherwise have. Earning your CEBS designation will open a whole host of doors for you.

Visit CEBS online for information about purchasing course materials, signing up for an Online Study Group, virtual exams and more details on the program. Do you need further guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help!  Give us a call at (833) 886-3749 or email cancebs@ifebp.org.