All Member Community

Great topic!  We are interested in seeing the responses from CDFM and CDFM-As. In the meantime, we are happy to share some of the reasons to obtain your CDFM.

• The Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM), a test-based certification, is a very relevant and prestigious credential, even for those DoD financial managers (FMers) who have obtained the course-based DoD FM Certification required by the Department. 
• The demands of the times require broad knowledge and analytical skills across a range of disciplines. The CDFM certification is fundamental to establishing a broad set of financial management skills. 
• Thirteen percent of DoD FMers hold the CDFM, so it represents a valuable credential that impresses selecting officials with the individual¹s drive and initiative. It also enables leaders within the DoD to be confident in hiring CDFMs or CDFM-As from anywhere else in the DoD knowing that they possess the skills the job requires.
• The CDFM is one of 20 DoD-approved test-based certifications which the DoD Financial Management Certification (DFMC) Program recommends FMers at Certification Levels 2 and 3 complete. The CDFM directly relates to the work done by DoD FMers and the knowledge and skills the Department would like all FMers to have.
• The CDFM certification is a differentiator for employers and increases employment opportunities within the public and private sector.
• During the past 12 months, over 3,000 CDFM exam modules have been taken, many by individuals who hold the DFMCP. 

Hello all,

Like what others have said, I feel the DFMC is generally a baseline certification that indicates your current experience level in financial management.  As a military member, most of my DFMC was completed by attending one or two professional courses so although I learned a lot, I felt like I earned the certification mainly through experience rather than actual knowledge.

After completing the CDFM, I feel considerably more knowledgable in DoD Financial Management.  Being the CDFM and CDFM-A are test based, there is an inherently stronger accountability that you know the principles that drive our field such as fiscal law, PPBE, and host of other FM competencies.  Even without the designation, I know that the study and preparation made me much more confident in making decisions and advising my customers/and or leaders on financial matters.

Adding that the DFMC is a mandatory certification, the incentive to get it done was mostly out of necessity and often found myself just skimming through computer based training to meet the credit requirements and deadline.  With the CDFM, there was an actual want to learn the concepts and improve my job knowledge.

Hello all,

Like what others have said, I feel the DFMC is generally a baseline certification that indicates your current experience level in financial management.  As a military member, most of my DFMC was completed by attending one or two professional courses so although I learned a lot, I felt like I earned the certification mainly through experience rather than actual knowledge.

After completing the CDFM, I feel considerably more knowledgable in DoD Financial Management.  Being the CDFM and CDFM-A are test based, there is an inherently stronger accountability that you know the principles that drive our field such as fiscal law, PPBE, and host of other FM competencies.  Even without the designation, I know that the study and preparation made me much more confident in making decisions and advising my customers/and or leaders on financial matters.

Adding that the DFMC is a mandatory certification, the incentive to get it done was mostly out of necessity and often found myself just skimming through computer based training to meet the credit requirements and deadline.  With the CDFM, there was an actual want to learn the concepts and improve my job knowledge.

Hello all,

Like what others have said, I feel the DFMC is generally a baseline certification that indicates your current experience level in financial management.  As a military member, most of my DFMC was completed by attending one or two professional courses so although I learned a lot, I felt like I earned the certification mainly through experience rather than actual knowledge.

After completing the CDFM, I feel considerably more knowledgable in DoD Financial Management.  Being the CDFM and CDFM-A are test based, there is an inherently stronger accountability that you know the principles that drive our field such as fiscal law, PPBE, and host of other FM competencies.  Even without the designation, I know that the study and preparation made me much more confident in making decisions and advising my customers/and or leaders on financial matters.

Adding that the DFMC is a mandatory certification, the incentive to get it done was mostly out of necessity and often found myself just skimming through computer based training to meet the credit requirements and deadline.  With the CDFM, there was an actual want to learn the concepts and improve my job knowledge.

During my first dedicated FM tour as the Comptroller at Naval Forces Korea there were a few mandatory online courses to complete, but I didn't feel like I'd learned enough to be effective in my position.  I attended the EDFMTC and from there continued on to obtain my CDFM.  I learned so much about DoD FM as I proceeded to study and obtain my designation.  Moreover, my CDFM journey exposed me to a great network of other DoD FMers in Korea.  Collectively the wealth of knowledge I obtained and wonderful ASMC network in Korea helped me be more effective at my job than I'd have ever been without it.

I feel DFMCP was born out of the FIAR efforts in order to establish a baseline.  CDFM goes beyond that baseline and the network within ASMC makes it a more valuable designation in my opinion.

That said, in full disclosure, I don't have a DFMCP designation.  Both my previous Comptroller tour and current Business Financial Manager tour are not "on the list" of designated FM billets.  Still, once I actually get into a designated billet, it will just be a matter of uploading my courses into the LMS - no where near the level of effort I went through to obtain my CDFM or CDFM-A.