5 reasons why your management career needs a Professional Qualification

Here’s the thing. Most managers & leaders have got to their position by doing well at something else.

Could be a previous job with another organisation, results delivered at a lower level with this organisation, academic achievement at school or university – or simply the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time. We all need a bit of luck and timing to achieve great success, however good we are.

But that can all take rather a long time. What if you aren’t ‘lucky’? What if you aren’t in that right time right place?

Can you buck the system? Is there a way to go around the outside and fulfil your potential more quickly?

Well, yes as it happens. There is. You could prove your capability and professional credentials by achieving professional recognition. Here’s 5 good reasons to think about it:

1. Less than 1 in 5 off your leadership & management ‘competitors’ have a professional qualification. Getting one could give you a major competitive edge for promotion, for a new role or for the next step on your career ladder.
2. You’ll exude legitimate self-confidence. Not smoke & mirrors or bluster & bravado, but the genuine confidence that comes from proving to yourself that you have what it takes.
3. You’ll have the evidence of success. If you achieve at a higher level, such as a professional honours or post-graduate qualification, you’ll have that very nice shiny certificate or diploma on your office wall. Most managers don’t.
4. You’ll come across much better in meetings, reviews, interviews and even at lunch. You’ll be able to talk knowledgeably about the latest thinking and have all the right models, principles and capabilities in your locker. People will notice.
5. You’ll get a taste for it. Nearly ¾ of all leaders & managers who achieve a professional qualification go on to do something else. Learning is contagious and energising. Some of our leader candidates have gone from first-line manager level to the board, continually challenging and stretching themselves – and becoming a rising star – and some of them were already approaching middle-age when they started.

If you’re intrigued, you can find out more about our Professional Qualifications here