No 3rd Level Qual and promotion

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Not sure if this is the correct place for this but its a mixed bag .
I recently went for a promotion and lost out purely on not having a 3rd level qual. I work in IT and have 20yrs exp. as did the other candidate , but he had a degree (unrelated to job) and got it over me. Interview was based on a points system and the difference was the 4pts (I think) he got for having a qual.
Now im getting to thinking , should I get a qual.
Im unlikely to leave my current employer anytime soon , but wanted that promotion. As said its an IT job , but im not sure I want to do 3 yrs of 2-3 nights a week to get a qual that wont further me in anyway and will prob cost 5-10k , just to tick a box. Promotions are few and far between , maybe 1 every 5yrs between 3/4 people. Im in my 40's with small kids and its a big ask time wise.
Are there any easy courses 1yr maybe which I could fly through and get that piece of paper ?
Also does doing something like a COMPTiA , CCNA count as a 3rd level Qual ?

Thanks for any advice

MouseTail

With your industry experience, you will likely be able to skip the undergrad, and go straight for a postgraduate diploma or Masters. I think you will have to bite the bullet and go for it. Was in a very similar situation, and yes it was very difficult juggling a full on full time job, parenting and studying, but it paid off.

The_Conductor

C.O.Y.B.I.B wrote: »

Not sure if this is the correct place for this but its a mixed bag .
I recently went for a promotion and lost out purely on not having a 3rd level qual. I work in IT and have 20yrs exp. as did the other candidate , but he had a degree (unrelated to job) and got it over me. Interview was based on a points system and the difference was the 4pts (I think) he got for having a qual.

That is really tough- and arguably an unfair way to give him the job over you- especially as the qualification was in an unrelated field.

C.O.Y.B.I.B wrote: »

Now im getting to thinking , should I get a qual. Im unlikely to leave my current employer anytime soon , but wanted that promotion. As said its an IT job , but im not sure I want to do 3 yrs of 2-3 nights a week to get a qual that wont further me in anyway and will prob cost 5-10k , just to tick a box. Promotions are few and far between , maybe 1 every 5yrs between 3/4 people. Im in my 40's with small kids and its a big ask time wise.

Its incredibly difficult to study with young children- and not fair on either you, your children, or your spouse. Its very difficult studying when you're working fulltime- without throwing young children into the equation too. If promotions are few and far between, and unlikely to materialise any time soon- I'd seriously suggest putting it off, at very least until the children are older. I'd also suggest approaching your manager with a proposal for the company to assist people in your position, to achieve further education (be careful that you phrase it such that its pertinent to the job, and open to anyone- not necessarily you). Its an excellent motivational tool for the company- plus, if they pay your fees- its tax deductible for them, as work specific training.

C.O.Y.B.I.B wrote: »

Are there any easy courses 1yr maybe which I could fly through and get that piece of paper ?

1 year- no. 2 years- probably. You could easily get into 3rd year of a 4 year BSc on the basis of experience (I walked straight into Year 3 of a BBS in Information Systems Management- on the same pretext). It is two years hard slog though- including most weekends. Be prepared for it- and when I say weekends- often this will be team work and project work in college- not necessarily at home with the children at all.

C.O.Y.B.I.B wrote: »

Also does doing something like a COMPTiA , CCNA count as a 3rd level Qual ? Thanks for any advice

These are professional qualifications- not 3rd level qualifications. There is a scale which shows how many points different 3rd levels are worth on a scale (all the way up to 10 points for a doctorate, 9 for a Grad Dip, 8 for a Masters, 7 for a HDip, 6 for an honours degree, 5 for an ordinary degree etc etc etc_

Its good to have professional qualifications- but they are not normally classed as 3rd level qualifications. That said- more often than not- they would be more pertinent in a work environment that a 3rd level qualification- however unfortunately, a 3rd level qualificatoin has a snob value- that these professional qualifications do not necessarily have.

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Thanks a lot for that concise answer. I think the challenge for me is to find something that is related to work and that Im interested in , rather than a "tick the box".
I found a great course in IT forensics which caught my attention , as its only 2 years of evenings and would be a great selling point where I work , however they require a pre-existing level 6 qual.
I didn't realise that I might be able to skip some of the pre-requisites with a lot of experience . I think maybe i'll bang out a few emails to colleges and see what can be done .

Thanks again for the great replies.

The_Conductor wrote: »

That is really tough- and arguably an unfair way to give him the job over you- especially as the qualification was in an unrelated field.



Its incredibly difficult to study with young children- and not fair on either you, your children, or your spouse. Its very difficult studying when you're working fulltime- without throwing young children into the equation too. If promotions are few and far between, and unlikely to materialise any time soon- I'd seriously suggest putting it off, at very least until the children are older. I'd also suggest approaching your manager with a proposal for the company to assist people in your position, to achieve further education (be careful that you phrase it such that its pertinent to the job, and open to anyone- not necessarily you). Its an excellent motivational tool for the company- plus, if they pay your fees- its tax deductible for them, as work specific training.



1 year- no. 2 years- probably. You could easily get into 3rd year of a 4 year BSc on the basis of experience (I walked straight into Year 3 of a BBS in Information Systems Management- on the same pretext). It is two years hard slog though- including most weekends. Be prepared for it- and when I say weekends- often this will be team work and project work in college- not necessarily at home with the children at all.




These are professional qualifications- not 3rd level qualifications. There is a scale which shows how many points different 3rd levels are worth on a scale (all the way up to 10 points for a doctorate, 9 for a Grad Dip, 8 for a Masters, 7 for a HDip, 6 for an honours degree, 5 for an ordinary degree etc etc etc_

Its good to have professional qualifications- but they are not normally classed as 3rd level qualifications. That said- more often than not- they would be more pertinent in a work environment that a 3rd level qualification- however unfortunately, a 3rd level qualificatoin has a snob value- that these professional qualifications do not necessarily have.