I have noticed of late how many of my peers on LinkedIn are FCIM and Chartered Marketers, and we thought we would reach out to our associates and alumni to see what belonging to the CIM community and doing their CIM qualifications has meant to them.
When you have been a full member of CIM for some time, did you know you can apply to become a Fellow? The application process is very straightforward online. But why would you do this? I know for me; it means I have the highest recognition from the Chartered Institute of Marketing for my marketing capabilities and experience.
Craig Kirkpatrick, Head of Marketing, Lloyd Motor Group, FCIM, Chartered Marketer, says that working towards Chartered Marketer status and being a Fellow of the CIM has been crucial to his career as it’s professional evidence of a sustained period of education, training, work, experience and assessment judged by his peers. Craig also studied for his CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing with nesma.
Having completed the CIM Marketing Leadership Programme, Natalina Sutherland, Senior Brand Marketing Manager, MCIM DipM at Lookers, is looking forward to the CIM graduation ceremony in November and told us that as a direct result of the experience gained completing this Level 7 qualification, she has enhanced her strategic marketing skills and become a valuable strategic member of the senior marketing team. Hence, she has been assigned to lead marketing projects with significant investment to implement operational excellence.
Being a Chartered Marketer is the professional and royal endorsement that you are that ‘professional marketer’. So, how difficult is it to become Chartered? You can register for your CPD (Continuing Professional Development) if you hold Associate level membership and above. If you keep this up to date for two years, you can apply to become a Chartered Marketer. People already studying for CIM qualifications can use their studies as evidence for their CPD. So, my tip to you is that if you are studying at the Diploma level and above, now is the time to upgrade to an Associate, if not full, membership of CIM.
Joe Sanders, Marketing Manager at the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, raves about his CIM Diploma in Digital Marketing, saying, “The Diploma was a good way of backing up what I’d learned on the job with theory and standard techniques calculating ROI, targeting and positioning, budgeting, and customer profiling. Through doing the assignments, I improved my understanding of the business’s target markets, digital customer experience, and opportunities. I keep the finished assignments on hand and refer to them often to help generate ideas. I now use many things I learned during the course in my current role – for example, when I’m planning, I use the PR Smith’s SOSTAC® framework.”
The CIM Certificate and CIM Diploma programmes comprise three modules. They can be extended with bolt-on modules so that it is possible to gain additional Diplomas, for example, the CIM Diploma in Digital Marketing or the CIM Diploma in Sustainable Marketing with just a 3-month add-on module. Although we know it takes commitment and dedication to study on top of busy day jobs, think about your marketability and career goals with your current or future employers.
Emily Brown, Senior Marketing Manager at Sterling Pharma, has done a top-up Diploma and claims: “Studying with CIM and nesma has been invaluable to my career development and growth. It is the best thing I have done for my career, and I’d recommend these qualifications to anyone looking to pursue a marketing role.”
David Murray, Co-Founder of Northumbrian Pantry, Handmade Preserves, has found even just the first module of his CIM Professional Certificate programme very fruitful (if you’ll forgive the pun!), saying, “Thanks to the CIM Applied Marketing course, my marketing expertise and confidence have really grown, owing not just to the superb syllabus teachings but also to the broader education it offered which was exceptional.”
Lewis Hutchinson, Marketing Communications Trainee at Onyx Health, has made clear decisions about his career journey. He has opted for the CIM Foundation Certificate in Marketing and the CIM Certificate in Marketing in favour of doing A levels at college. He explains why this works for him, “My CIM studies helped me massively achieve the goals I set within my early career. It has also enabled me to have exciting conversations I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
The CIM offers a range of professionally recognised Marketing, Digital Marketing and Sustainable Marketing qualifications designed to develop your core skills, so make CIM qualifications part of your personal development plan, whether a full qualification, a modular award or quality training, via one of the specialist awards or a nesma masterclass.
If you want to understand how marketing training can benefit you or your team, call Laura or Lydia on 07734 222 254 or email hello@nesma.co.uk.