6 Jobs You Can Get with a CIPD Qualification

Qualifications are like keys – they open doors.

And with those doors come opportunities! When it comes to the human resources and learning and development sectors, having a CIPD qualification in your toolkit is particularly effective in showing employers that you have the required high level of skills and experience for a role. Naturally then, that means that if you’re serious about starting or developing your role in the sector, you should seriously consider getting a CIPD qualification. 

So, what type of roles will having this type of qualification open up to you? Here are 6 of the best jobs that you can get with a CIPD qualification.

Introducing the CIPD qualifications

The CIPD is the leading professional body for the human resources and learning and development sectors. It’s a membership, accreditation body that sets the standards for the sector, and is widely regarded by employers across the world. A lot of employers expect candidates for HR roles to have qualifications, like those accredited by the CIPD.
To ensure that high quality, best practice approaches are followed, the CIPD offers qualifications designed to equip all stages of HR professional with the knowledge and skills that they’ll need to thrive in the industry. They are:

CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate

– Entry level qualification aimed at beginners

CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma

– Intermediate level qualification designed for professionals with some existing experience of the sector

CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma

– Expert level qualification, aimed at senior professionals with significant experience of the sector.

(While we’re at it, let’s acknowledge our sources too. We’ve taken all of the information for this blog from the Hays Salary Guide Recruiting Trends 2020 guide – one of the industry’s most comprehensive guides about salary trends for roles across the UK.)

1. HR Director

Average Salary (London): £90,000 - £150,000
Qualification: CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma
The ultimate career goal for a lot of professionals in the sector, HR Directors are the most senior position in the Human Resources field in a lot of private and public sector companies. Responsible for the strategic overview of a HR department, they’re generally responsible for managing staffing plans, overseeing budgets, developing and implementing training, and
looking after labour relations.

It usually takes significant industry experience, specialist knowledge and talent to rise up through the ranks to become a HR Director. Most employers will ask for at least a CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma. Normally, they’ll ask for evidence of a postgraduate qualification, like a CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma too though.

2. HR Advisor

Average Salary (London): £30,000 - £50,000
Qualification: CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma
The HR Advisor is one of the most important intermediate job roles in human resources. They are the backbone of a Human Resources department, completing all of those essential personnel tasks that keep a department functioning.
Typically, a HR advisor is responsible for a lot of general HR tasks like; recruitment and retention, payroll, managing disciplinaries and designing and implementing performance reviews. HR Advisors can also be responsible for advising senior management and decisions directly affecting employees. You’ll usually need a CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate and prior work experience or a CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma to stand a chance of getting this role.

3. HR Assistant

Average Salary (London): £30,000 - 50,000
Qualification: CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma
An entry level role, the HR Assistant position is perfect for people who are coming into the sector for the first time and are looking for their first official role. HR Assistants are usually responsible for supporting the personnel processes of an organisation. It’s a pretty broad, generalist-type role, and they mainly deal with clerical and administrative tasks which ensure that the human resources department functions at its best. Think setting up meetings, helping with payroll and doing admin for grievances and disciplinaries, for example. You’ll learn a lot about the basics of HR in this role, and it provides a great set of skills and knowledge which you can use to progress to more intermediate and senior roles. Employers usually ask that HR Assistants hold at least a CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate.

4. L&D Manager

Average Salary (London): £30,000 - 50,000
Qualification: CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma
A mid-level role in the L&D field, the L&D Manager is responsible for overseeing and implementing training, learning and employee development in a company. One of their main functions is to design bespoke training programmes and roll them out to employees. L&D Managers might also be asked to advise senior managers and board members on training and retention schemes, and to build relationships with third party training providers. As well as being fulfilling it its own right, the L&D manager can be a great springboard to more senior positions like the L&D Director. To stand a good chance of being selected for a Manager position, you’ll need at least a CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma and some decent work experience behind you. Some employers may ask for evidence that you’ve completed a CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate.

5. Head of Equality and Diversity

Average Salary (London): £62,000 - 75,000
Qualification: CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma
A specialist, senior HR role, the Head of Equality and Diversity is responsible for managing all aspects of equalities and inclusion issues in a company. It’s a great role to aim for if you’re particularly motivated by human rights issues. Heads of Equality and Diversity create and oversee programmes designed to make the workplace a more supportive place for people from particular groups or minorities, or those with particular access concerns. A part of senior management, they’ll usually be answerable to a CEO or Board, and they’ll usually manage a small team, or fit into the wider HR department. You’ll normally need at least a CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma and most employers ask that you have an equivalent postgraduate qualification like a CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma.

6. L&D Director

Average Salary (London): £30,000 - 50,000
Qualification: CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma
One of the most senior roles you’ll be able to achieve in the L&D sector, the Director is responsible for managing everything to do with learning and development at an organisation – from agreeing strategy and setting budgets, through to managing employees and implementing policies.

As the highest member of staff responsible for L&D in an organisation, they’ll provide specialist advice and feedback to other senior decision-makers when required, and liaise with other third parties and training providers. Again, like other senior roles, you’ll need to have significant work experience and achievements, along with evidence that you’ve completed a postgraduate L&D qualification, like the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma to be considered for the role.

We hope you’ve got a clearer idea now of the types of roles that can become available when you study a CIPD qualification.

Get your free CIPD course guide and start your journey in the world of HR today.