How the CIPD Qualification Has Helped Me

We’ve discussed in previous articles the merits of the CIPD qualification, and asked for your views both as employers, when hiring – and also as candidates. In CIPD Is It Worth It we looked at whether the qualification can help you gain a job, and in The CIPD Qualification; What Do You Think About It? we looked at its relevancy today.

We believe it’s important to demonstrate real-world examples though. So now, in this article we look at the practicalities of the qualification and speak to several HR professionals to find out how the qualification has helped them, both when it came to securing a job, as well as in their day-to-day work life.

The CIPD when you’re starting out

Kate Daniel, People Partner at B&Q found she relied more on her CIPD qualification in the early part of her career: “As a HR generalist it was my go-to reference for anything new, and employers wanted you to have it on your CV.”

This reliance has changed as she has progressed with her career. Kate says: “In more recent years the CIPD HR Community has helped me with more specific questions. I think there comes a point when your experience, network and openness to always be learning outweighs the necessity to be ‘CIPD qualified’.”

For Kate, the CIPD gave her an excellent footing for her HR career, however she advises that it’s not the only route: “I’d advise HR professionals at any stage of their career to access a range of resources – and we’re fortunate there is a huge availability of information and many networks of HR expertise through different platforms – to make sure they’re learning from a wide variety of sources.”

HR in theory and practice

Rebecca Gilbert (Chartered FCIPD, CPCC) is Company Director at Headland HR Limited. She says the CIPD has been integral in her learning and understanding of HR, helping her progress further with her career: “For me, my CIPD gave me a deeper theoretical understanding of HR and all the other things which impact it. It helped me with things like research and report writing skills. I also think it helps you to be more strategic as you learn about the business context.”

Reflecting on the benefits, Rebecca believes that having the opportunity to have a combination of practical and theoretical has been invaluable: “I think the biggest benefit for me personally has been the opportunity to gain a professional qualification and to progress my career as my qualification level progressed; and to have the practical application alongside the theory – so learning whilst working in an HR role.”

For Rebecca, she wanted to take this knowledge even further: “For myself, I became a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD as it felt like the next natural step once I became an HR Director and then a business owner and Consultant.”

We were intrigued to read these different viewpoints and discover just how gaining a CIPD qualification can have practical application in your everyday life. We’d love to hear from you too, to find out what aspects of the CIPD you have found useful in your HR career. You can get in touch through our LinkedIn or tweet us on Twitter to tell us more.

Looking to further your career in HR? Speak to our dedicated HR division to find out how we can help you take the next step.