Is a CIM Qualification worth it?

If you’re looking to get ahead in marketing, it can certainly be worth doing a CIM qualification. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is one of the world’s largest professional awarding bodies for marketing, a CIM qualification carries a lot of weight with prospective employers. 

In fact some top marketing jobs are now actually insisting on a CIM qualification as part of the job requirements for a role.

Written and developed by industry experts, CIM courses are some of the most content-rich, comprehensive courses around.

There are multiple reasons why getting CIM qualified is worthwhile.

  • Powerful accreditation with international recognition

In today’s world, you can get a qualification for virtually anything online, but many of these qualifications are worthless unless they come from a reputable, well-known organisation such as the CIM.

With a CIM qualification, you will be in good stead to gain marketing opportunities throughout the world because the CIM is an international organization with a global reach, respected by marketing employers everywhere. Few degrees or college diplomas can claim that! 

CIM accreditation means the course has had to meet rigorous CIM standards and  delivers high quality marketing education. Any good marketing organization knows this, so if you’re CIM qualified prospective employers will know you have what it takes to succeed having received top-quality training.

  • A viable degree alternative

A degree will obviously put you in a better position for employment in life but it can be incredibly expensive. Many recruiters, particularly in the marketing industry, are starting to realise that degrees don’t always equip students with the key skills necessary in the workplace.

Degrees from British Universities are some of the most highly regarded in the world and carry a lot of weight on the international stage, but they are not internationally recognised in the same way as some non-formal qualifications like CIM. If you’re looking to go into a more specific career like marketing, a non- formal diploma qualification in that area can often be more relevant and give you better training.

Plus, you won’t end up with hefty student loans to pay back!

What’s more, the world of work is increasingly seeing ‘degree saturation’. As more and more people attend university, most candidates applying for jobs will now have a degree. Because of this many people are now finding that their degree’s value is being ‘diluted’. It’s now becoming more and more necessary if you want to impress employers, to go a step beyond degree and pursue further education or specialist training in your specific field.

  • Get qualified alongside practical experience.

If you’re already working in markeitng but want to progress, an online CIM diploma in marketing is ideal. You can continue to keep up with your current work commintemtn gaining valuable experience in your role whilst studying at a time that suits you and building your knowledge and skillset.

Many marketing employers recruiters look for individuals with relevant experience and completing a part-time online qualification can also provide you with plenty of chances to network and find opportunities alongside your studies.

When you study alongside work, you can also use your work experience to help with your studies, and what you learn in your studies can be applied to your job, a perfect mutually beneficial balance between practical experience and knowledge.

  • Theory isn’t everything

A qualification purely focused on the theoretical or knowledge-based side of learning isn’t always going to be as effective if it doesn’t also teach you the practical skills and give you the chance to put what you’ve learnt into practise.

While the CIM does put a lot of emphasis on the theoretical knowledge of marketing, (after all it’s important to have a solid grounding an