Whether you’re just starting out in your career or you’re looking to make your next move up the ladder, studying can be a great way for you to enhance your chances of securing your dream job. Michael Cheary from reed.co.uk, shares his advice on how training or studying can give your skills and qualifications a boost.
While plenty of hard work and passion for work will help you progress in your career, enhancing your skills and knowledge is also an important way to help you to move forward, especially if you are considering Manufacturing Careers. Studying for an extra academic or professional qualification is a great route to doing this and putting in some extra work towards your career development can bring big rewards.
What are the benefits?
Staying competitive in the job market
The jobs market is a competitive place, and with two thirds of jobseekers telling us they currently hold or are studying for a professional qualification, it is more important than ever to ensure you are on a level playing field with other jobseekers.
Performing your current job more effectively
As well as helping you to secure your next role, professional qualifications can help you be more efficient in your current position. The right qualifications not only help to set you apart from your colleagues, but will also help you continue your personal development; a vital part of career progression.
Applying for specific roles
For certain roles, it may be a minimum requirement to have attained a professional or academic qualification. If you’re looking to move on to a more senior position, a combination of the right mindset and relevant qualifications will help you stand out from the crowd.
Changing direction
If you feel that you’ve delivered all you can in your current position, professional qualifications can help 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.
Where do I start?
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, how do you choose the right one for you?
To help resolve this, qualifications in the UK have been categorised into two national frameworks; the Qualifications and Credit Framework and the Higher Education Qualifications framework. While the qualifications within each framework 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 improving interpersonal or people management skills.
Career progression is about more than just waiting for your next opportunity to arrive. Studying for qualifications in an area you’re passionate can help take you to the next step in your career.
By: Tom Hornbrook