Whether you’re starting out in your career or you’re looking to make your next move up the ladder, studying can be a great way to improve your chances of securing that dream job. Michael Cheary tells you how. While hard work and enthusiasm will help you progress in your career, enhancing your skills and knowledge is also an important way to assist you. Studying for an academic or professional qualification is a great route to doing this and putting in some extra work towards your career development can reap big rewards.
The jobs market is a competitive place, with two-thirds of jobseekers registered with Reed saying they hold, or are studying for, a professional qualification, so it’s more important than ever to ensure you’re on a level playing field.
As well as helping you to secure your next role, professional qualifications can make you more efficient in your current position. More than 80% of employees who have studied for a professional qualification describe it as being beneficial, or even essential, for them to perform their role effectively. The right qualifications not only set you apart from your colleagues but will help you continue your personal development; a vital part of career progression.
For certain professional roles, it may be a minimum requirement to have attained a professional or academic qualification. More than 10% of those who have achieved a vocational qualification have done so as it was necessary for employment in their industry sector.
If you’re looking to move on to a more senior position, a combination of the right mind set and relevant qualifications will help you stand out from the crowd. Professional qualifications can facilitate a change of career direction and enable you to build the foundations in your chosen field. You can then apply these to your CV, making you more valuable to prospective employers.
If you’re looking to boost your career progression with training, there is a wide variety of different courses for different learning types available. With so much choice, you need to pick the one that’s right for you. To help resolve this, qualifications in the UK have been categorised into two national frameworks: Qualifications and Credit and Higher Education Qualifications. While the credentials within each cover a range of different topics, they are grouped according to their individual demands and intensity. Courses range from entry-level classes to diplomas or degrees.
As well as enhancing your CV, gaining qualifications can be invaluable for your personal development in a number of ways from improving your time management and organisational skills to enhancing interpersonal and people management expertise.
Career progression is about more than just waiting for a new opportunity to arrive. Studying for qualifications in an area you’re passionate about can help propel you to the next stage.
Michael Cheary is Content & Communities Manager at Reed. To find out about the kinds of courses relevant to you, or for more career advice, go to reed.co.uk
