Here is a brief summary of some of the other qualifications you may come across.
Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC)
BTEC provide a range of nationally recognized, work-related qualifications for industry, business, finance, public administration, as well for as art and design. The courses are modular and take from one to three years to complete.
There are three levels of BTEC qualifications: First Certificate/ Diploma, National Certificate/Diploma, Higher National Certificate/ Diploma.
City and Guilds
City and Guilds offer a variety of qualifications, mainly in a broad range of crafts. You can obtain City and Guilds certificates at several levels. Some City and Guilds qualifications are awarded on the basis of grades (pass, credit, distinction) or simply a pass. But others take more of a GNVQ or NVQ approach in which you gain your award on the basis of the skills or knowledge that you develop and that you can demonstrate.
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Examinations Board
The LCCI offers qualifications for those who are seeking employment in the business world. There are certificates/diplomas at three levels (First, Second and Third) for candidates of any age.
Royal Society of Arts (RSA)
RSA awards a wide variety of qualifications in the areas of office, commerce and commercial studies.
Professional qualifications
In law people may only practice certain professions if they have obtained the necessary professional qualification. In architecture, medicine, law and dentistry, for example, it would be illegal to work without having obtained the appropriate qualifications.
There are many other professions, from engineering and surveying to business and accountancy, all of which have their own professional associations which set standards for their members. The Institute of Civil Engineers and the Institute of Bankers are good examples of these.
So to operate at a senior level within these professions you will probably need to gain the appropriate qualifications. However, other qualifications are often accepted, giving exemption from some of the body's own examinations.
With professional associations such as these there are usually three levels of membership: 'associate member', 'member', and 'fellow'.
Fellowship is the highest level, and it is attained by only a small number of particularly well-qualified members. Professional associations award their own qualifications based on examinations which they have set. It is very rare that a professional body will conduct its own course of study. Courses leading to professional qualifications are offered by colleges and universities. You may study full-time, part-time, or in some cases, through distance learning.
If you're thinking of undertaking a degree in a field which will lead to employment and which is directly related to the degree you intend to study (banking for example), it is worth asking each university how the degree they offer relates to professional (banking) qualifications. Often, you'll find that you can kill several birds with one stone, gaining exemption from certain parts of the professional training as you complete your course of study for your degree.
Routes to Higher Education
By far the majority of 18 year-olds who enter university have followed the A level route. Strangely enough though, over 50 per cent of people at university these days are 'mature students' and many of them have no A levels at all. So if you'd like to try for a higher qualification, but don't have any A levels or their equivalent, try:
" Access courses;
" Accreditation of Prior Learning;
" Adult Residential courses;
" SWAP (Scotland only).
Qualities
You can easily measure an electrician's ability. You can test his competence to re-wire a house or install a range of new kitchen appliances. You can check his work for neatness, accuracy and economy. You can test the speed of his work to ensure that his tasks are completed on time and that he can keep to a schedule, and you can run a check on his work to ensure that the installation meets current safety requirements.
It is more difficult to measure a person's cheerfulness when dealing with members of the public, or the ability to inspire confidence among customers and staff. How do you measure loyalty, enthusiasm, honesty, leadership, vision, resilience and tolerance? Every job requires a level of skill, but every job also needs a certain mix of qualities and, despite the difficulties in measuring them, employers often place as much value on qualities as skill. You can get an A level in history, a BTEC in business studies, or a qualification in electrical installation, but there is no examination yet which offers a qualification in leadership, integrity or energy.
When you are invited to an interview, an employer may have already convinced himself that you have the necessary skills to do the job. He may have seen your qualifications and certificates, and he may know from a previous employer that you are competent at your job. At times such as these, qualities will be the central issue.
Think about what qualities an employer would like to see in someone applying for a job such as this and then look carefully at yourself. What examples can you think of which will indicate that you have the qualities he requires? Don't restrict yourself to examples from previous jobs; think about other aspects of your life. Members of sports teams can show their willingness to work alongside others to achieve a common goal. Voluntary charity workers can illustrate their concern and commitment to causes in which they believe. They can also use the same example to show that they are trustworthy and conscientious workers. School-leavers who were prefects or organizers of school societies can use these examples to demonstrate leadership quality, drive and organizational ability.
Questionnaires
Some employers are losing faith in references. It is rare for a candidate to offer the name of a referee who is going to be unsupportive of his application, so making sense of references can become an exercise in reading between the lines. They are also criticized for being imprecise. To combat this, some employers ask referees to complete questionnaires which ask for precise information about the topics that interest them. Referees are asked to tick appropriate boxes from 'very good' through 'average' to 'very poor'.
