Considering a CIPS qualification?

If you’re a procurement and supply chain professional in the early stages of your career, you may be considering your next professional qualification.

Not only can it help make you more attractive to prospective employers, it can also increase your chances of a larger salary. But is this qualification worth it for you? We look at the benefits of obtaining a CIPS qualification and how it can help you in your career.

What is CIPS?

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Chain (CIPS) was initially developed by employers and academics to uphold a global standard for procurement, by offering practical training courses, workshops and qualifications. A not-for-profit body, it is the world’s largest procurement and supply chain professional organisation and exists to promote an industry standard for a network of professionals operating in all sectors around the world.

What can you expect?

The CIPS qualification can be a fantastic addition to your professional experience as it can be tailored to your existing skills and number of years on-the-job. As a whole, their courses are often quite practical, presenting realistic business cases, in line with current market conditions.

Dependent on your working schedule, CIPS courses can be taken on a full or part-time basis. It's also quite common for employers to make practical work allowances, enabling their staff to complete the qualification whilst managing work commitments. The CIPS course allows you to stay up to date with new guidelines and it also gives you the opportunity to bring best practice into the business.

Putting theory into practice

Although at the end of the day, it’s satisfying to have an extra qualification on your CV, the knowledge taken from the CIPS qualification can actually make a big difference in your day to day work. Whichever category you specialise in, the CIPS course allows you to stay up to date with new guidelines and it also gives you the opportunity to bring best practice into the business - raising your internal profile and potentially helping you develop a number of valuable cost saving efficiencies.

Remember to market yourself

Although the CIPS qualification can increase your employability, it is important to remember that those hiring will want to know that you can put theory into practice. After completing the qualification, you will need to tailor your CV so you can best communicate your achievements and demonstrate how you best put your new skills into practice. Outside of this, you’ll also have to practice how best to articulate this in an interview setting.