Is a Higher Certificate useless?

Lozbo

I'm just about to go into my second yr of a level 6 higher cert in legal studies and when i graduate i don't wish to go any further in my studies

i'm just wondering if employers turn their noses up at this? would it be a complete waste of time?

i know obviously id be better off getting a degree but i just really despise college i can't stick it any longer!

dobbs2210

Realistically direct entry into good positions would require a minimum of degree qualifications in most cases.

Even some employers these day are looking in some instances for more than a degree qualification.

That's not to say a higher certificate qualification will not gain you a job position but the effort level to find a job will be far greater.

Can I ask out of curiosity why do you despise college? What is it in particular that you dislike so much about college?

Are you a mature student?

Tom Dunne

It all boils down to what you want to do and what career progression you see ahead of you.

Different jobs require different levels of skill and education.

Lozbo

dobbs2210 wrote: »

Realistically direct entry into good positions would require a minimum of degree qualifications in most cases.

Even some employers these day are looking in some instances for more than a degree qualification.

That's not to say a higher certificate qualification will not gain you a job position but the effort level to find a job will be far greater.

Can I ask out of curiosity why do you despise college? What is it in particular that you dislike so much about college?

Are you a mature student?

I'm only 19. I just don't feel like college is for me, I'm not very social and I just don't enjoy it in general. i'm finding it hard to "stick it out" because i'm really out of my comfort zone.

i want to become a financial adviser which i can do without completing my current degree, but i feel that i will regret not completing the 4 years.

Lozbo

sugarman wrote: »

Stick it out and get the degree, its only an additional year, isnt it?

I was the same, but pushed through to get the level 7 then went out to look for work and found it extremely tough.

...My current job isnt that high paying, and theres not much chance of me moving up the career ladder either in this company or any other without further qualifications.

I regret not getting it all over and done with at once, and just doing the full 4 years! Now im late 20s and havent the time, nor money to go back and complete it.

what i want to do after college doesn't require my degree at all, that's the thing.

my only worry is that a level 6 cert won't be enough for me to fall back on or find employment in the mean time

Beariski01

The gradireland website gives some good advice on the path to become a financial adviser:
https://gradireland.com/careers-advice/job-descriptions/financial-adviser  ;
It says that a degree is generally required but doesn't state that it's always necessary. Apart from that it would really depend on the area of work that you could expect to fall back on in the mean time, the majority of graduate entry jobs require a level 7/8 degree.

neonsofa

Even if a degree is not necessary for the job, if two candidates were the same in every way except one had a degree in finance or similar (I don't know the industry sorry) which one is the employer going to go for? It may not be a requirement, but your competition for the roles will be other people looking to start out in the finance sector who studied for 3 or 4 years so would be viewed as more knowledgeable in the area than someone without that education behind them. Hope I'm making sense.

Would you consider speaking to a guidance counsellor to go through your options?

Edit: Just saw your degree is in legal studies, I still think that they would view this as relevant to the job. But like I said I don't know the industry well.

Lozbo

neonsofa wrote: »

Even if a degree is not necessary for the job, if two candidates were the same in every way except one had a degree in finance or similar (I don't know the industry sorry) which one is the employer going to go for? It may not be a requirement, but your competition for the roles will be other people looking to start out in the finance sector who studied for 3 or 4 years so would be viewed as more knowledgeable in the area than someone without that education behind them. Hope I'm making sense.

Would you consider speaking to a guidance counsellor to go through your options?

Edit: Just saw your degree is in legal studies, I still think that they would view this as relevant to the job. But like I said I don't know the industry well.

I should have specified. To be a financial adviser, I have to take exams that lead me to a level 7 degree, but the current course i'm doing is not relevant to it at all. The FA course is done in your own time and does not require you to attend a college, so I feel like if I know that I want to be a financial adviser, I am wasting my time by doing this course for the next 3 years rather than just graduating this year.

yosser hughes

Lozbo wrote: »

I should have specified. To be a financial adviser, I have to take exams that lead me to a level 7 degree, but the current course i'm doing is not relevant to it at all. The FA course is done in your own time and does not require you to attend a college, so I feel like if I know that I want to be a financial adviser, I am wasting my time by doing this course for the next 3 years rather than just graduating this year.

Are you talking about the QFA exams?
Yes, you don't need a degree to do these and it is distance learning.
The fact remains though, your competition for jobs will have a QFA as well as a degree.

myshirt

I wouldn't wipe my arse with a QFA qualification, absolutely not. I worked as both a solicitor and now a chartered accountant in Corporate Finance and Private Equity. The QFA is useless and redundant no matter what they tell you.

Op, you are young. Get that degree in the arse pocket because you never know when you need to point to it. I could have became a barrister but for my Irish, but when I was doing my Leaving I didn't give a flying f#ck about Irish. There is a time to learn and a time to earn. You have a long life of working, give yourself the best platform to start off. The education and work you do up to the time you are 30 will dictate the rest of your career, for the most part. As you go on, it's harder to make sideways moves or backwards moves. Not impossible. But hard. Box smart here, get your education.

Tom Dunne

I wonder are you setting yourself the goal of becoming a financial adviser because it doesn't require a degree rather than having an interest in the area?

You say you are 19, what do you know about being a financial adviser? By your own admission, you are not very social - how will that translate when you have to interact with people and give them financial advice?

The reality is these days, a Level 8 degree plus professional certificates are a minimum in a number of fields, not just finance. Sure, you may get in the door, but as others have said, you won't progress when faced with higher-qualified competition.

Teyla Emmagan

neonsofa wrote:

Edit: Just saw your degree is in legal studies, I still think that they would view this as relevant to the job. But like I said I don't know the industry well.

I'm working in a bank at the moment and the guy beside me has a law degree. We are updating T&Cs. We work a lot with Legal and Compliance. It's a hugely valuable qualification in banking. And there will be work there for ever with all the regulatory change.

They wouldn't take you on without a degree though OP. Sorry but that would be the min requirement even for an interview. Even if you want to do the QFAs (which the bank would pay for) you still need to get the job in the first place.

So I would really stick it out, the degree will open a lot of door for you in the future.

squarecircle1

Lozbo wrote: »

dobbs2210 wrote: »

Realistically direct entry into good positions would require a minimum of degree qualifications in most cases.

Even some employers these day are looking in some instances for more than a degree qualification.

That's not to say a higher certificate qualification will not gain you a job position but the effort level to find a job will be far greater.

Can I ask out of curiosity why do you despise college? What is it in particular that you dislike so much about college?

Are you a mature student?

I'm only 19.  I just don't feel like college is for me, I'm not very social and I just don't enjoy it in general. i'm finding it hard to "stick it out" because i'm really out of my comfort zone.

i want to become a financial adviser which i can do without completing my current degree, but i feel that i will regret not completing the 4 years.

What exactly is it that you don't like about college? is it the course? or the people? where you live?
Sometimes being out of your comfort zone is not necessarily a bad thing, at the time it may not be great but when you look back you realise how much you have grown over a short period of time. Academic years go VERY fast, wait and see how you feel at the end of 2nd year and you can reevaluate the situation then. 
Have you thought about anything that may improve the situation or at least make it a bit more enjoyable to be there? Is there any clubs/societies you might be interested in joining?

Lozbo

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I'm working in a bank at the moment and the guy beside me has a law degree. We are updating T&Cs. We work a lot with Legal and Compliance. It's a hugely valuable qualification in banking. And there will be work there for ever with all the regulatory change.

They wouldn't take you on without a degree though OP. Sorry but that would be the min requirement even for an interview. Even if you want to do the QFAs (which the bank would pay for) you still need to get the job in the first place.

So I would really stick it out, the degree will open a lot of door for you in the future.

Thanks for your reply, it's very helpful to hear from somebody actually working in a bank.

I was under the impression that a QFA is a degree, it says that it's a level 7 award? Maybe I'm wrong. But clearly you need another degree before even starting a QFA? I was told that it is generally an "add-on" that people do once they already work in the bank, but I thought people could do these exams straight after their Leaving Certificate.

Lozbo

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I wonder are you setting yourself the goal of becoming a financial adviser because it doesn't require a degree rather than having an interest in the area?

You say you are 19, what do you know about being a financial adviser? By your own admission, you are not very social - how will that translate when you have to interact with people and give them financial advice?

The reality is these days, a Level 8 degree plus professional certificates are a minimum in a number of fields, not just finance. Sure, you may get in the door, but as others have said, you won't progress when faced with higher-qualified competition.

No, I've always had an interest in the area but I also had an interest in law and wasn't sure which I wanted to pursue a career in. I don't know EVERYTHING about being a financial adviser that's why I've posted on here. I'm not very social in a setting where I have a choice to be quiet if that makes sense, but if it's my job I can get on with it very well.

Humour Me

The QFA is not a degree qualification. I obtained the QFA while working for a bank as it was relevant to my role (I worked with financial advisors) however a degree was a minimum requirement for my role.

Can I ask what the appeal of a financial advisor role is for you? Do you have experience in a brokerage or sales? In my role in the bank I worked directly with a number of financial advisors and it's not an easy job. You will have sales targets to achieve each month, you will only be on a basic salary with the balance earned from commission. You need to be able to build relationships with clients so that they will keep coming back to you and refer you onto others. If you are having issues being social in college, do you think you will be able to convince a client to deal with you rather than directly with the bank?

Lozbo

Humour Me wrote: »

The QFA is not a degree qualification. I obtained the QFA while working for a bank as it was relevant to my role (I worked with financial advisors) however a degree was a minimum requirement for my role.

Can I ask what the appeal of a financial advisor role is for you? Do you have experience in a brokerage or sales? In my role in the bank I worked directly with a number of financial advisors and it's not an easy job. You will have sales targets to achieve each month, you will only be on a basic salary with the balance earned from commission. You need to be able to build relationships with clients so that they will keep coming back to you and refer you onto others. If you are having issues being social in college, do you think you will be able to convince a client to deal with you rather than directly with the bank?

No, I don't have any experience in those areas. I suppose I just have an interest in banking in general and not just being a financial adviser.

I have no idea how I would go about getting a job in any other banking roles other than a financial adviser. I would be interested in any banking job really but I'm just not sure what yet, I've been trying to find people who are already in the industry to guide and inform me as I'm quite clearly clueless.

I know BOI have a graduate programme but haven't been able to find much about it online.

PTH2009

Have a HC in Tourism from WIT in 2013 and it's got me nowhere but when or If I go back to get my Degree I can progress into 2nd year of the Tourism Marketing and hopefully have my Degree in just under 2 years. Aiming to head back in Sep 2018. It's nice too have a third level qualification on the CV but a Degree is the best way to go

Lozbo

PTH2009 wrote: »

Have a HC in Tourism from WIT in 2013 and it's got me nowhere but when or If I go back to get my Degree I can progress into 2nd year of the Tourism Marketing and hopefully have my Degree in just under 2 years. Aiming to head back in Sep 2018. It's nice too have a third level qualification on the CV but a Degree is the best way to go

Yeah I'm in WIT at the moment too. So you find that the HC hasn't improved chances of finding a job at all? I kind of want to just get the HC and take a while out to work, and be able to return to get my full degree at some stage but at the same time I want to get it all over and done with in the one!

Humour Me

If you want to get into banking/financial institutions you will need a degree as a minimum requirement. A lot of roles in the industry are now subject to minimum requirements by the central bank so a degree is necessary.

I worked with BOI for a number of years, so I can tell you that the competition for a place on the graduate programme was high. However there are other ways to start off in the industry at a graduate level without going through a graduate programme. Take a look at the careers section of the bank and insurance company websites and you will see the types of roles that are available and the skills that they look for. its a good way to see the variety of roles that are available in the industry so that you can see what types of roles interest you.

Continue on with your education now, maybe see if you can get experience in a brokerage during the summer to build up experience. If you are not enjoying your course, is there a possibility that you could switch to another course in WIT?

PTH2009

Lozbo wrote: »

Yeah I'm in WIT at the moment too. So you find that the HC hasn't improved chances of finding a job at all? I kind of want to just get the HC and take a while out to work, and be able to return to get my full degree at some stage but at the same time I want to get it all over and done with in the one!

That's what I done, sadly it's pretty hard too find a mid level paid job in the Tourism sector atm. Personal issues prevented from going back in 2013 but if I don't find a full time job I'll look to back and get my Degree. If I were you I'd stick to it and get it all done at once and then enjoy life after. Best of luck

Tom Dunne

Lozbo wrote: »

I was under the impression that a QFA is a degree, it says that it's a level 7 award? Maybe I'm wrong. But clearly you need another degree before even starting a QFA? I was told that it is generally an "add-on" that people do once they already work in the bank, but I thought people could do these exams straight after their Leaving Certificate.

Absolutely not.

A Level 7 degree requires 180 ECTS (credits, put simply). The QFA consists of six modules, each 5 credits, which is 30 credits total.

The level of the content is probably equivalent to one full semester of a Level 7 degree (based on one semester = 30 credits). So that's one semester out of six required for a Level 7 degree, it's most certainly not a degree of any shape or form.

It is what UCD call a Professional Diploma. Full details here : https://www.iob.ie/?q=QFA