Business Management Qualification

[downhill racer]

I'm wanting to get a business management qualification, needs to be online from a reputable provider. Not really looking to go for a full blown degree maybe a certificate or diploma.

Would anybody have any suggestions on what course to go for? The OU has one starting in Feb 21 but was hoping to start before that.

TIA.

 

[The Byre]

Is this a career thing?

I ask because a piece of paper for an employer is of limited value and the best course for your own education to run your own business is to read various books.

 

[downhill racer]

Yes, it's a career thing. Won't get considered for next rung in career ladder without it.

 

[The Byre]

My 30 cents worth would be to go for the real thing, a decent degree in Business Studies.

There are thousands of bits of paper you can buy ("Gain vital college credits for money paid!") and some of them come from such august bodies as 'The Wysuckie College for the Totally Dumb', but for the main part, I would go for something HR departments will realise is the real thing.

 

[Mr D]

Mba perhaps?

Accepted as a qualification by most employers. Whether of any use is rather a different matter...

 

[downhill racer]

Thanks for the replies. I've looked into mba's, degrees and they're very expensive, will be paying myself without support.

Seen a diploma in business management from award body called qualifi, seems they are ofqual registered, cost about a grand, more in my budget. But as byre said above, need to be careful of Mickey mouse qualifications.

 

[AstEver]

Chartered Management Institute offers some courses and qualifications.

 

[Bob Morgan]

MBA = Means Bu**er All!

 

[The Byre]

Look at things this way (as an employer) - nearly one-third of all those of working age today have a university degree. Back in the days when I was employing large numbers of people as journalists, degrees came ten-for-a-penny. I was turning PhDs away as unsuitable, but waving-in barkeepers with F-all tertiary education because they knew stuff that others did not.

HR departments are painfully aware of the difference between degree courses. Nearly all vocational courses are BS and worthless. Try getting a gig with Aldi as a management trainee with a first-class MA in film studies from some hell-hole former polytech and see how far you get! A 2:1 in chemistry from a real university and they roll out the red carpet.

To the OP - I do realise that you are looking for some qualification in order just to tick a box - so I am not being very helpful here! But you might try to think longer-term and actually go for some course of studies that not only give you a qualification to hang on the wall but also serves to improve what you have between the ears.

To that end, I always like things that cost nothing! The OU and even places like Harvard and MIT have free degree courses, though you will incur some costs like textbooks and may have to engage in some limited travel. I cannot give you all the details (busy day) but a Google-search with words like 'free university courses' spits-out dozens of options.

 

[chickenlady]

Have another look at the OU - they offer free 'Badged' courses (as well as many others) which you can put on your profile. If you're working full time, can also be a good indicator of how much time you might need to dedicate to an MBA - should you feel you need one after the above!

 

[Financial-Modeller]

Yes, it's a career thing. Won't get considered for next rung in career ladder without it.

So why not think a little more strategically?

What do you need to get the job after that one? ...or the job that you utimately aspire to, assuming it isn't the next rung up from what you're doing today?

 

[Blood Lust]

I'm wanting to get a business management qualification, needs to be online from a reputable provider. Not really looking to go for a full blown degree maybe a certificate or diploma.

Would anybody have any suggestions on what course to go for? The OU has one starting in Feb 21 but was hoping to start before that.

TIA.

Open University

You can do your certificate in business studies (1st year uni and is quite easy although you will need to tell them what they want to hear in assignments rather than being totally honest about yourself). You can do it via distant learning and it will take a year to complete. It will give you a lot of stuff needed for junior management such as a team leader position.

If after doing it, or at some point in the future what to continue, you can then do years 2, 3, and 4, picking up a diploma, HND, then BA, if you so wish. HND level is good for middle management, the full BA if you make it to senior management and want a qualification to go with it.

Just be warned, pass grades are different at the Open Uni. Bottom passes are the same but there are higher thresholds for higher passes. For instant distinctions are 85% and above, not 70%. If you want an easier ride with normal thresholds there are plenty of other universities that do distant learning such as UCLAN in Preston or Oxford.

You wont be starting anywhere until February that I know of, most distant learning university courses start twice per year. If you are currently unemployed get your job centre to stamp your forms and the years modules are free, and dont forget to claim your free laptop.

 

[Blood Lust]

My 30 cents worth would be to go for the real thing, a decent degree in Business Studies.

There are thousands of bits of paper you can buy ("Gain vital college credits for money paid!") and some of them come from such august bodies as 'The Wysuckie College for the Totally Dumb', but for the main part, I would go for something HR departments will realise is the real thing.

I got my BA in business studies through the Open University.

Its a very hard degree. Not because each piece of work is difficult, but because of the volume during the last two years. But its got loads of accreditations and is highly valued by employers. A very good degree to get from a decent university that will set you up for life.

They teach office politics on it too in an attempt to help you enter management once you`ve received it will is always important for degrees in business. As you will have to navigate jealous work colleagues and jealous unqualified managers.

 

[Clinton]

If it's purely to tick a box to get a promotion, go to India or somewhere and buy yourself whatever certificate you want.

Or talk to @Mark T Jones who'll tell you where you can get a certificate not just to say you know a bit about business but to say that you know so much about business that you can mentor others. (I think Mark should start charging a commission for this!)

 

[paulears]

MBA is the common one, but of course you need to be a graduate to get one. It's a qualification without, in my view, substance. When I was doing my teaching qualification all our tutors had MBAs, and were the worst teachers ever! Most were promoted out of teaching into teaching teachers. Any qualification that has a Government approved and validated level should be fine. Paying for anything without a validated and standardised level is a waste of money, because it means nothing. People who dream up wonderful courses ALWAYS find a way to fit them into the national framework to give it validity. Knowledgeable employers may pay their staff for qualifications, but they won't if it's a pretend qualification. My wife works in a hospital and is always having to do training, but they ALL have a recognised level. Usually 1 or 2. Level 1 means the candidate was breathing. Academically worthless, but a valid qualification for a CV. The only exceptions are government recognised gatekeeping exams for access to things like licences or subsidy, but now, even most of these have an official level. At college, we always used to consider any training you do that has your certificate printed before you starts worthless.

 

[Lucky8]

@downhill racer - can you give us more to help you?

Which career path are you on?
Who has said you need this and how true is that?
What part of "business" do you need to know about?