With the job market tightening up and the constant need for employers to hire the best staff they can find, it is essential for jobseekers to prove their competence with a professional certificate or diploma from a recognised training provider.
Such vocational qualifications are often demanded in addition to a degree as they are proof of practical skills training where course work is as important as the final exam.
But with the government pouring so much money into retraining the unemployed, some vocational training has become devalued, therefore it is important to have the right training provider on your CV if you want to stand out from the crowd and secure that job.
Therefore students should choose an institute and its qualifications carefully.
The oldest and most respected provider of secretarial training is Pitman Training and their diploma level general secretarial course, legal secretarial course and medical secretarial course are among the most highly regarded programmes in the UK.
The importance of having a well-respected diploma or certificate is simply so that potential employers can have the confidence that you will be able to work effectively from day one without the need for expensive additional training and with reduced need for supervision.
General Secretarial Qualifications.
For general secretarial work, you will need to prove that your touch typing level is at least 45 wpm and preferably more, that you can do audio transcription, use Word, Excel and Outlook software to a much higher level than the average user and communicate effectively by phone, email and in letters.
Having a qualification such as the Pitman Training Secretarial Diploma is proof that you are already skilled in these areas.
Student Clare Magloire is a good example of the need for recognised qualifications.
Despite having no prior office experience, she used her diploma to fight off the competition to win a job with the International Cricket Council, which went down well with her cricket mad family!
Clare earned her diploma at Pitman Training Centre London, in High Holborn and of her first foray into office work, she says:
"It was great. I wasn't at all nervous and I found I could instantly use all the skills I'd learned at Pitman Training. In fact, my work colleagues were really impressed with my Word and Excel skills and kept asking me how to do things. If Pitman Training is on your CV, it's trusted."
Legal Secretarial Qualifications.
Where a legal secretarial course is concerned, again the Pitman Training Legal Secretarial Diploma programme is the most widely recognised as a statement of practical skills.
You’ll learn skills as a general secretary, as well as how a law office works and you’ll specialise in a small number of subjects where you’ll learn how to use and complete a number of legal documents and the administrative processes that go with them.
You’ll choose from conveyancing, criminal law, civil litigation, family law, wills & probate and company law and each of these modules is recognised by law firms in England and Wales.
ILEX, the Institute Of Legal Executives, recognises Pitman Training as a provider for Continuous Professional Development.
Lambroulla Pantelli, a legal secretary with a West End law firm confirms:
“The Pitman Training Legal Secretarial Diploma is the best known qualification in its field. I enjoy the responsibility of my job and it's great to be able to draw on all the practical knowledge I gained from the Diploma. When I started out, one of my objectives was to have proof that I was competent so I wouldn’t have to sit so many tests with recruitment agencies.”
Medical Secretarial Qualifications.
If it’s a medical secretarial course that interests you, go for the Pitman Training Medical Secretarial Diploma, recognised by AMSPAR, the Association Of Medical Secretaries, Practise Managers And Receptionists.
In addition to general secretary skills, you’ll also learn medical terminology and medical audio transcription.
Jane Dredge, a former physiotherapist who now works as a medical secretary in a West Country hospital confirms that she was able to make a career switch despite being “quite mature,” as the result of holding a recognized qualification.
Conclusion.
When you’re choosing education for your career, make sure you choose a recognised provider to enable you to stand out from the other applicants for the job.
