CIPD standards for the HR profession are high and our assessors do reject applications that don’t show sufficient evidence of work based experience required for the level of professional membership being applied for. In order to ensure that your application is successful please refer to the tips below; they may seem obvious but these are common reasons why an application is unsuccessful.
Before you start - plan your application answers
• Contribution is the key - how have each of your activities benefitted the team/ department /business?
• Demonstrate how you are able to make decision and influence people especially senior management and the executive team.
• HR professionals should be good role models which is demonstrated through leadership, motivation, coaching and influencing. Having the courage to challenge and working under pressure within your role is important to demonstrate and how you resolve conflicts in order to meet your outcomes through staying calm and focused.
• Giving real life examples where your own role is clear. Try not to use the same example too many times – it may be a very strong one but can suggest that this is the only example you have
• Make good use of Plain English instead of business speak and avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Nominate two colleagues, one of whom needs to be your line manager or a client who understand your contributions and can articulate the value you have added with specific examples, to complete your colleague assessment .
Completing the application form
• Do follow all the instructions on the form and complete all the sections, an incomplete application will be returned to you – use the checklist on the CIPD website.
• Provide a clear and concise answer to each of the prompts with what you have done and your achievements.
• Your CPD is very important; make sure you reflect throughout on what you have learned and how it has been applied.
• Avoid using examples that end up as a narrative/observation of the situation which does not highlight what you did, why you did it, how you did it and the beneficial outcome.
Final considerations before you submit your upgrade application.
• Your local branch Membership & CPD adviser will be happy to check an application before submission, they can also offer advice on the process and check the examples you wish to use in your application.
You must ensure that you make the case as to why you should be upgraded