£2000 for training

kiwigirl

Hi All

I left work due to a bullying boss last year and have been trying to get back into the same industry for a while now (currently doing a temp job in another type of work just to keep busy / wages coming in).

I've been offered a chance to go on a training course which may give me a chance to work for one of the companies I keep on applying for but they normally say as I've not got this certain qualification they won't process my application form further.

I've been offered the course for just over £2000 (for a week) but that covers everything, books, exams, teaching, and hotel and quite a good chance of passing the exams first time (which is difficult).

Although it's not definately going to get me that new job, it will certainly help towards it. Is it worth paying £2k to get myself through the qualification and to see if I can get a good new job, if I were to get a new job in the place I apply for I'd be £20k up per annum so it would in my view be worth it if I definately got a job out of it.

Would you go for training for £2k if it meant getting a better job (but may not be definate?).

Your opinions would be gratefully received.

KG

Jennie_2

More details honey, more details.....

If the qualifications don't get you THAT new job will they enable you to get another job in the same or different industry?

I am all for training to improve your life but £2k is a lot to find and you need to be sure it will be £2k well spent and that it won't take you a life time to recoup the investment from your new job.

IF you fail the course, how soon can you re-sit it, but more importantly, would there be a cost involved?

If you can tell us a little more it would be easier to give you some ideas to help you make a decision.

Good luck sweetie!

kiwigirl

It's Prince 2 qualifications (Project Management), which I've seen around for around £1k but that doesn't include hotel (would have to travel most of the places) and a lower pass rate, would prefer to pay extra for a good chance at passing.

I agree £2k is a lot of money which is why I didn't go for it before, but if I do get another post (this qualification will help me as my previous qualifications are lower than degree level).

Exams cost £200 for the practisioner I believe, this course goes from basic to exam in 5 days where the others expect you to know certain amount beforehand (which I don't).

Astaroth

£2k with a £20k per annum return is always going to look a good return on investment but I would be cautious.

What is it you actually do? I assume your job is industry related but cannot think of any qualification that instantly gives you an extra £20k when you can do a similar job without the qualification.

Pieces of paper are great but currently most companies want both qualifications and experience, do you have the experience in the qualifications subject already? For example I had done Prince2 project management for a couple of years before I actually sat the exam and got the formal qualification.


Just seen your post.... I am sorry, Prince2 doesnt add £20k to your salary and experience is certainly very important including in the prince2 methodology.

kiwigirl

Astroath - I'm had a £10k drop in salary when I lost my job due to the bully last year, and the jobs with the experience I have and P2 are starting at in excess of £20k more than I'm on now.

I have 4 years experience and in telecomms and Prince 2 is one of the qualifications one of the companies I would like to work in does specify.

Astaroth

I would be exceptionally surprised if you get an auto £20k payrise for prince2 - it is a highly desirable qualification in most areas of project management (though in strategic PMs it can be seen as a disadvantage from experience) and will certainly help get a foot in the door of a new company but if I was recruiting another new PM to work with me I certainly wouldnt be offering more than a couple of K more for someone with prince2 over an otherwise identical person without prince2 but then again I really cant stand the prince2 methodology

Of all the high paid project managers I have worked with only 1 had prince2

kiwigirl

The job I currently am on is nearly £15k and the jobs that I've been offered if I have Prince 2 are starting salary of £35k or as a contractor min £250 per day due to experience I have (so as a contractor it would be even more!). Alas the company will not even interview me without the qualification, so in my view it would mean a £20k increase if I do get the job, ok not definate but it may help me enough to get the interview and maybe the job due to experience I have in the industry already.

Astaroth

Agree the salary for a qualified/ semi-experienced PM (non-london rates) but £15k is exceptionally low for anyone project based... even a project assistant with some experience should be on £20-25k

Guess £20k is reasonable in your circumstances though if you are still project based at the moment I would query why your salary is just so low

kiwigirl

I'm not currently project based, I'm just doing a temp job rather than claiming any benefits. I lost a good engineering job which I had the 4 years experience as I said before. They are now advertising the post, so I will either have to apply for it, and hopefully get it and carry on looking for other work or get other work beforehand and work notice to end of contract.

For the post's I've applied for some of them do want P2 but others don't.

I've now realised that the £2k is not inclusive of VAT so that will take it to around £2.5k. I'm also in dilema of if I attend the course on the specific dates and do not get the current job permanently my job will cease 1/2 way through the course so I could possibly be out of a job when I returned too.

Maybe the only way to do this is to use a stooze card and pay over the months and do it that way and hope for the best I either get another job soon that will give me the wages to pay it off sooner.