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  • Further education for a grown up!
  • the-muffin-man
    Full Member

    I’ve been considering going back to uni to do a HNC in Business and Management but several people have said this could be a waste of time (as I ran my own business for 20 odd years and it would just cover the stuff I already know*) and it would take years to get to degree level (can only do part time).

    They are suggesting I go down the professional qualifications route like CIM and do modules in more specialist areas. The SEO/web marking area interests me – stuff like this…
    http://www.reed.co.uk/learningcentre/course/details/19106

    So for those in the ‘real world’ of jobs and recruitment – would CIM type qualifications be more relevant than HNC/HNDs?

    Apart from 2 low grade CSEs I have no formal qualifications!

    (*due to recession we had to close our family business – I’m now employed but fear my MD isn’t going to honour the promises he made when I joined so may have to move on).

    SurroundedByZulus
    Free Member

    If I’d been running business for 20 years the last thing that’s be on my list would be doing a HNC/D. What about doing a MBA part time? I’d suggest that may be more the level that someone with 20years experience should be aiming at.

    davidjones15
    Free Member

    MBA without undergraduate qualification? Where?
    Also with 20 years experience, I don’t think I’d bother with an MBA, except as a bit of fun.
    As a mature Business Management Ba(hons) student, I didn’t find the degree course that taxing or that useful. Then again I don’t want to work with a manager, I much prefer being my own boss.
    I’d look at the degree course over the HND and only look at specific professional qualifications if that’s the are you’re already in and trying to progress or something new for lateral movement.

    SurroundedByZulus
    Free Member

    DJ15 – most if not all of them will have relevant prior learning route into the MBA for people who dont have a degree. My brother inlaw did one on that basis.

    davidjones15
    Free Member

    I think I would have to doubt the quality of the courses on offer and the resulting opportunities.
    Where did your BIL study?
    Most of my Googling on this tells me that you’d require a degree if you’re lucky otherwise an honours degree.

    SurroundedByZulus
    Free Member

    Somewhere in Manchester.

    davidjones15
    Free Member

    Aaah! That one. I’ve heard it’s crap. 😉

    chewkw
    Free Member

    General business degree is shite so don’t waste your life away. Studying a degree in business does not make you a good manager but merely enhance your pen pushing skills.

    Search for some practical useful applicable courses and not for qualification that is shite just because you think the manager requires it …

    davidjones15
    Free Member

    Search for some practical useful applicable courses and not for qualification that is shite just because you think the manager requires it …

    Interesting.

    john_drummer
    Free Member

    Most of my Googling on this

    so it’s not “real” knowledge or experience then 😉 pinch of salt required

    I’ve been in IT for over 20 years; before that I did a BSc in Phsyical Electronics, but dropped out after 2 years & never went back.
    I seriously doubt if I’d bother now, to be honest.

    For me the degree, if I’d completed it, may have got me an interview with Intel at the time, or maybe it wouldn’t. It certainly wouldn’t do so now. Not worth anywhere near as much as 20 years of real world business experience.

    davidjones15
    Free Member

    so it’s not “real” knowledge or experience then 😉 pinch of salt required

    I suppose it come down to Google or my brother in law says, innit? 🙂

    john_drummer
    Free Member

    neither of which are exactly empirical, eh? 😉

    loum
    Free Member

    OP,
    Try and borrow of one of the course texts from a library.
    Read a bit , keep it at home with no pressure, and see if you go back to it out of interest or if it starts to feel like a bit of a chore to finnish it.
    Remember that a degree will take up a lot of your time in the evenings and weekends, especially doing it part time whilst working, for at least three years.
    You need to be getting something out of it, at the time of doing it, more importantly than the qualification itself at the end.
    You may find that putting your work-life experiences into context with modern business theories really helps to clarify ideas in your mind, and becomes very interesting. On the other hand, you may feel that you’re not learning anything new, just completing assignments to get the grades you need.
    You’ll find your motivation stays stronger if the course genuinely interests you, if not it’ll be hard work (even if not challenging).

    yunki
    Free Member

    merely enhance your pen pushing skills.

    your grammar is mightily improved when you’re not trolling.. 😀

    john_drummer
    Free Member

    You’ll find your motivation stays stronger if the course genuinely interests you

    amen to that

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

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