I'll never forget having dinner with a well-known industry leader just after the team at Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates launched the certified forensic interviewer (CFI) certification in 2002. It struck me how critical this individual was of the program. He voiced the belief that our industry didn't need another interview-and-interrogation class. He questioned why any seasoned professional in our business would need a certification, firmly believing that years of experience should simply speak for itself.   Value of Certification This person had no understanding of the true value of certification, and the validation of knowledge that results when completing a professionally…

As Weis Markets approaches its 100-year anniversary, their loss prevention team continues to grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of the business. The professionals at Weis Markets believe that world-class LP programs are made up of world-class people. Their first priority is having the most qualified professionals in the industry. Weis believes investing in their associates is critical to their program's continued success. In November Weis Markets awarded LPCertified (LPC) and LPQualified (LPQ) scholarships to their team in partnership with the Loss Prevention Foundation and InstaKey Security Systems. These scholarships play an integral role in setting the standard…

Many of us in the loss prevention profession didn't dream of one day being the vice president of a loss prevention department for a major retailer. In fact, many of us didn't even know what loss prevention was when we started selecting college courses or formulating our career plans. When completing surveys and profiles of likes, dislikes, preferences, habits, and tendencies with career guidance counselors in school, do you remember ever seeing a career in loss prevention included among the possible choices? Probably not. The truth is many of today's seasoned loss prevention professionals stumbled on this industry quite by…

Did you know the unemployment rate for our young men and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq in May was 30 percent? Did you know that unemployment payments to service members fresh out of the military have doubled since 2008? Many of us find these statistics not only alarming, but unacceptable. As a hiring manager, you may be able to do more about this than you think. We all recognize that these young men and women have sacrificed much so the rest of us could go about living our normal life. We all shudder to think that we forget the…

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the LP Magazine 10-year anniversary celebration [see the article here]. What a walk down memory lane! I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if we had no professional magazine. Many of us can remember a time when we had no magazine; no LPRC; no exception reporting, EAS, or video analytics; no LPQ, LPC, or CFI certifications. Isn't it great to have these wonderful resources that add such value to our industry? Congratulations to Jack Trlica, Jim Lee, and the entire magazine staff for a great celebration, and for providing us…

It may not be the equivalent of the NCAA tournament, but March has been an exciting month for the Loss Prevention Foundation and an industry hungry for certification. It's been clear throughout the beginning of 2011 that certification has continued to build on a groundswell of momentum. The most exciting part of this rapidly growing initiative is the difference it makes in the lives of loss prevention professionals. Consider the following examples. Scholarship Winners The LP professionals shown in the box below have made a commitment to advancing their careers through obtaining certification and have been awarded scholarships by Vector…