Delegates at the Chartered Institute of Professional Developments’ (CIPD) annual conference and exhibition were told that the Institute's qualification is not all that is required to have a successful career.
Simon Howard of Work Group plc chaired the interactive ‘career’ seminar in which Mike Watts, professional development director for the CIPD, Mike Haffenden, founder of Strategic Dimensions, Alison Levy, director of HR at Crime Reduction Initiatives and Samantha Allen, managing director of Boyden UK Global Executive Search shared their secrets of making it to the top of the tree.
Allen said that qualifications play their part for entry-level jobs but in the realms of senior and board management, business experience is what is valued: “Great HR directors can sit around the boardroom table and it may not be apparent what discipline they sit in. They could be a marketing director because they understand the dynamics of the business so well.”
Watts told delegates not to ignore the part qualifications play, however: “Any profession requires some form of accreditation. HR will never require qualifications to practise but there is evidence that it is moving that way – you only have to look at the number of jobs that require CIPD qualification to see that.”
Haffenden said that the CIPD qualification only holds value when it is coupled with other attributes and drawing on her own experience Levy told delegates: “I didn’t do the CIPD qualification until I reached HR manager level. I found it easier to do once I had that background. The jobs that I’ve got have not been because I had the academics but the experience.”
According to Haffenden HR professionals could do worse then becoming experts in negotiating, selling and planning the skills that are required in the business world.
Criticising HR professionals for being “Jargon-rich and knowledge light,” Haffenden went on to tell delegates that depth and breadth of knowledge was what was required to really make it. “You wouldn’t want poor knowledge from your dentist. You must have a depth of learning and the CIPD qualification doesn’t really provide that, knowledge is what you need in a senior role.”
Allen added that business knowledge was esssential: “Irrespective of level you have to read the broadsheets every day and know about the sector you work in.”
Watts said that being able to demonstrate achievements was also important: “It’s not about being a great people person. The real value is turning people into a value for the organisation and it’s our job to demonstrate how that’s been achieved.”
Concluding the panel offered the following tips:
