Why CIPD Certification Is the Best Path to HR Success

Though careers in human resources (HR) may not reside in the same category as being a rock star, a groupie or an astronaut, research shows that the field increasingly attracts high volumes of graduates and career changers. With the many perks HR careers offer, it’s no wonder more and more people want to know how to really make it in this field. Let us show you why CIPD certification has become the go-to HR qualification and why it’s bound to make you stand out!

In recent years, the field of HR has enjoyed unprecedented progress. According to The Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) Recruitment Industry Trends 2016/17 report, HR had generated a profit of £3.2 billion. The report also predicts a growth of 3.6% for the sector in 2018/19, bringing about thousands of new job openings. These financial successes are also being reflected in the salaries offered by the sector, with HR managers earning a whopping average of £43,052, according to Glassdoor.

HR doesn’t just offer jobs that pay, however. Human resources careers are now increasingly viewed as being fun, positively challenging and fulfilling. The sector is also lauded for its flexibility and catering to different working styles and specific niches. For example, within HR practice, you may be able to take on a generalist role and perform a wide range of tasks, or you could specialise in a distinct area such as recruitment and talent management, employment law, or learning and development.

The field allows you to take the reins of your career direction and decide how you make it to the top. It’s really no wonder that two HR job titles (HR Manager and HR Business Partner) made Glassdoor’s list of ’25 Best Jobs in the UK’, measured by earning potential, job satisfaction and the number of job openings.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) is a not-for-profit professional body for HR and learning & development, which advocates for better work and working lives. The CIPD is also committed to elevating the status and professional standards of HR workers. As a way of fulfilling these aims, the institute offers professionals training, accreditation and lifelong learning support to its members as part of the CIPD membership and courses. Currently, it’s also the only HR institute that has the power to grant chartered status.

CIPD certification is well-established in the world of HR and seen by employers, businesses and HR veterans themselves as the benchmark for HR qualifications. The professional standards and ethics that the CIPD stresses at all levels of its courses translate very well into the workplace and are therefore highly sought after by recruiters and employers in the field. Unsurprisingly, many HR job advertisements list at least one CIPD qualification as an absolute must – regardless of whether that’s foundation level or a higher-level qualification.

Membership of the CIPD is proven to be an almost 180-degree turn in terms of your professional development and career potential, and maybe even your outlook on the importance and role of HR in every working person’s life.

According to an ICS survey of former CIPD students, two years after graduation:

The numbers above speak for themselves. Getting CIPD-certified is a surefire way of equipping yourself with more bargaining power when negotiating promotions, raises and other professional opportunities. However, the less obvious perk is that becoming a CIPD professional member also expands your network. Part and parcel of your lifetime membership is getting regularly invited to numerous events and conferences the CIPD organises for its student members. We’ve all heard the phrase that it’s not what you know but who you know, which is why the institute is keen to cover that base, too.

CIPD courses are offered at different levels and carry with them varying accreditation, depths of expertise and subsequent salary expectations. Successful completion of the higher-level courses will provide you with a flashy title after your name. Have a look at the different course options below and see what’s in it for you!

Entry requirements: None.

This is the introductory level for those embarking on a career in HR with little experience, as well as those seeking to boost their prospects in the field.

Equivalent to A-levels, the course teaches a wide array of practical skills that will help you build a solid basis for going forward in HR. You’ll learn anything from strategic thinking integral to the job to data handling, both of which will make you stand out in your current or future HR role.

Check out the Level 3 Foundation Certificate here, and the Level 3 Diploma courses here.

HR Assistant

Average salary: £21,057

HR Administrator

Average salary: £20,264

Entry requirements: Level 3 CIPD qualification or another Level 3 qualification in addition to some HR experience.

Set at an undergraduate level of study, Level 5 is of particular benefit to those aspiring to management roles within HR. Successful completion of this level allows you to use the title of ‘Assoc CIPD’ after your name.

Building on your existing knowledge and skills as a practitioner, the course places the role of HR in a wider context and attempts to provide you with a more nuanced understanding of it. It also invites you to consider the various HR models and practices, and the ways in which they’re designed to support a business’s overall strategy and objectives.

This course can be found here.

HR Analyst/Advisor

Average salary: £26,827

HR Business Partner

Average salary: £40,427

Entry requirements: Extensive HR or L&D experience, or an HR degree.

On par with postgraduate study, Level 7 is aimed at experienced HR practitioners aspiring to most senior roles within HR. It’s also the most widely recognised and desirable CIPD qualification. Completion of this level leads to CIPD Chartered Member status, allowing you to write ‘MCIPD’ after your name.

This course provides you with the knowledge and skills you need in order to successfully develop and apply strategic HR solutions and directly accelerate company growth and performance.

Have a look at our course listings and decide whether your goals are best suited to the Level 7 Advanced Certificate or the Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management. Alternatively, check out the Level 7 course in Human Resource Development.

HR Director

Average salary: £69,226

HR Manager

Average salary: £36,168

HR Consultant

Average salary: £43,603

All of the above courses are well-suited to those who feel more at home with distance learning as opposed to in class. At Courses Online, we understand how busy life gets and how hard it can be to carve out the time needed to study full-time or even part-time, which is why most of our CIPD courses are taught online.

Similarly to promising sectors such as IT, human resources are currently experiencing a general overhaul and economic boom, which make it an attractive path to many. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, too, check out our CIPD courses and skip the line to a profitable and enviable career!