By Julia Ahlfeldt
People often asked me what I studied to become a customer experience expert. Brace yourself, the answer isn’t short!
Customer experience (CX) is a new, exciting, and rapidly evolving field of work. While roles in the key functional areas such as insights and change management have existed for years, “CX” as we know it is a relatively young profession. Exact timing is hotly debated, but personally I pinpoint 2010 as the time when CX gained mainstream traction in the US.
I have a degree in Economics. CX wasn’t a course option when I studied, as universities are only just now beginning to offer CX classes as elective business topics. This means that most of the world’s current CX experts have been pioneers in the field. We’ve learned through our work and from each other.
The CCXP certification serves as a globally recognized and standardized measure of the extensive cross-functional knowledge needed to call oneself a Customer Experience Professional. Certification requires knowledge of strategic planning, innovation, market research, statistics, technology, process improvement and project management, just to name a few.
At the time of writing, there were approximately 500 active CCXPs, and only 5 in South Africa. CX is still a small field of work compared to other professions, but it is growing rapidly.
Earlier this year, the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) identified that the CCXP exam needed a refresh to keep pace with the ever-changing challenges of delivering great customer experiences. I had the honor of serving on the exam revision committee. It was a wonderful to opportunity to give back to the CX profession.
I am optimistic about this new chapter for the CX profession and am looking forward to meeting the next generation of CCXPers.
You can read more about changes to the CCXP exam here.
