Here are 5 reasons why RPL (recognition of prior learning) is your 2019 superpower! At this time of year many of us take time out from our jobs and routines to spend time with family, and have a well-deserved rest. In order to truly be present with family and feel relaxed enough to unplug, you need to take care of ‘business’ first.
So before you take some time out (if even just for the public holidays), get set for 2019 now…
Here are 5 reasons why RPL is your 2019 superpower:
1. RPL shows what you know
The most important step to getting employment ready for 2019 is translating the skills, knowledge and experience you have accumulated in your career, into nationally recognised qualifications through the recognition of prior learning (RPL) pathway.
The employment market is highly competitive; you therefore need to stand out by providing potential employers with evidence of your capabilities. Nationally recognised qualifications are a highly effective way to show what you know.
We recently interviewed one of our RPL clients – Brett, who says he was continually overlooked for interviews until he could show the value of his experience with qualifications.
Find out what you’re eligible for
Brett had 27 years of policing experience under his belt, but no qualifications that meant anything outside of that industry. Despite outlining his extensive skills and experience in detailed cover letters he says employers…
“Still wanted to see formal qualifications – that piece of paper.”
Long story short, Brett found Churchill Education, was eligible for a range of great qualifications through RPL, and was employed a couple of weeks later. Kapow!
You can read all about Brett’s RPL journey here.
2. Keep your skills current with RPL
The other important thing to bear in mind, according to this article on Career FAQs, is keeping your skills up-to-date. You can achieve this through undertaking relevant short courses. However it may not be necessary to study what you already know – you may be eligible for higher qualifications through RPL. It’s certainly worth finding out.
It is also important to bear in mind that employers want to see up-to-date qualifications, so although you may have completed a certificate, diploma or degree 10 years ago, employers want to see your capabilities reflected in recent qualifications. Again a great case for RPL.
3. Show your capacity for change
The only constant in life is change, and this will certainly be the case for 2019 and beyond. So what does this mean for you and your career? It means there is no such thing as a job for life and a golden handshake at the end.
If you’re after a fascinating read during your holiday downtime, check out 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari. One of the many predictions he makes for the future is that the pace of change is only going to increase. And this is going to mean that all of us will need to be adaptable enough to change careers multiple times throughout our working lives.
One way you can buckle up for the wild ride into the future is by demonstrating your skills across a range of disciplines.
In our Australian Employment Trends article, we discussed a key trend we’ve noticed over the last 12 months: Employers favouring candidates that can show a business qualification, a technical qualification and a specialist qualification. If you had to gain these through study it would take you the best part of a decade.
You may already be eligible for a range of qualifications based on your past career experience through RPL. (You’ll find a list of our top five qualifications for 2019 here.)
RPL is therefore extremely effective for staying current and change-ready.
4. Sharpen up your online presence
It goes without saying that when it comes to employment you need to maintain an up-to-date resume. But recruiters don’t rely solely on your resume. If they’re interested in you, particularly at a more senior level, you can bet they’ll type your name into a search engine and see what comes up. So when it comes to putting your best foot forward – make sure your online presence also scrubs up alright.
Possibly the most important platform for you to focus on, is LinkedIn. Ensure your profile is updated with your latest skills, experience, and most importantly qualifications.
Brett, who we mentioned earlier, was head hunted by a recruiter as soon as he added the qualifications he gained through RPL to his LinkedIn Profile!
Download our free guide: How to Create a Great LinkedIn Profile.
5. Apply for jobs now
Instead of spending your time off worrying about finding a new job in 2019, stop procrastinating and get into action now.
Seek and Hays are a good place to start. Look in particular at the prerequisites for the types of jobs you’d like to apply for. Do you have the skills? Do you have the experience? Most importantly do you have the required qualifications? This is another great reason to find out what you are eligible for through RPL.
Once you know what employers are looking for, update your resume and LinkedIn profile accordingly. Pay particular attention to keywords, because it might not be a human that decides whether or not you get through to the next round, it may be a search algorithm. And one of the obvious things an AI sweep will be looking for is prerequisite qualifications.
This means that although you may be able to perform the job with one hand tied behind your back, if you don’t have the ‘piece of paper’ the employer is looking for, you won’t even make the first cut. So once again, find out what you’re eligible for through RPL. It’s always good to know what your options are.
Writing Job Applications
One of the most daunting aspects of applying for a new job can be writing your covering letter. Getting it right can mean the difference between being overlooked, and making it to interview.
Download our free guide: 8 Essential Tips For Writing Job Applications.
So there you have it. Five reasons why RPL is your 2019 superpower: It shows what you know, keeps your skills current, demonstrates your capacity for change, makes you look really good online and gives you the evidence required to confidently apply for jobs now.
We are offering free 7-day fast tracks on all new enrolments until COB 20 December 2018. (A saving of $295.) So now is an excellent time to get set for 2019.
…Then you can relax, put your feet up, and enjoy your family knowing you are all set for 2019.
