Are you wanting to upskill, change career paths entirely or simply pursue your passions? You NEED to look into Massey University’s Certificate of Proficiency
Capsule x Massey University
This might be a niche thought, but there have been so many times where I wish life was a little more like a Goosebumps book.
Remember how you could choose your own adventure – picking just how you wanted the story to go, but if you didn’t like it you could always turn the page back, no harm, no foul, no monsters.
Real life isn’t much like that as anyone reading this will know all too well and yes sure, there are moments we’ve all had where we wish we could turn back the clock and make a ‘better’ (read: different) decision, especially when it comes to our education.
If you’re a millennial you’ll remember the pressure we all felt to go to university straight out of high school, no matter if we knew what we wanted to do or not – which is how so many of us ended up with a Bachelor of Arts or Business that we have no idea what to do with. Three years of waiting for inspiration to strike, passions not found, and student debt racked up.
THEN, you figure you better bloody use the degree you’ve earnt, so you take any job in the field and hope, just like on your 10th Bumble date of the month, that you’ll grow to love it (spoiler alert – you don’t). Fifteen years later, here you are – still not loving your career, and yearning for something more.
Sound familiar?
Luckily for you, there’s a way to flip the page back.
What is a Certificate of Proficiency and Why Should I Care?
I’ll be honest here and say when Massey University got in touch to chat about their Certificate of Proficiency (CoP), I had no bloody idea what they were on about apart from knowing I love both certificates (such a type A) and boy, do I appreciate proficiency.
But after researching these yarns and hearing women’s stories of completing the CoP, I genuinely couldn’t wait to jump on the phone to my best mate who’s just had her second baby and is wondering what her next career move might look like.
As Massey University Executive Director, Student Experience Amy Heise tells, the CoP is an absolute gem of a programme that allows a student to pick and choose courses (papers) from the almost 3,000 that Massey offer, as a chance for them to truly find what they love before embarking on formal qualifications – or to just simply further enrich their learning.
“It’s a way for our students to sort of try out what they might like to study,” she tells. “It gives them an opportunity to have a launching pad for what a bigger qualification or program might look like without making that commitment right up front or feeling like they have to know their direction.”
So… it’s like one of those Sampler boxes of biscuits, right? (Can you tell I was hungry when I did this interview?) You can try out all the biscuits before committing to buying a single packet, and you avoid the risk of ending up with just Krispies when you actually wanted the Hundreds and Thousands.
Laughing, Amy agrees. “Do you know what, it’s exactly like that. It’s a chance to not pigeonhole yourself early, and also feel out what tertiary education is like. Plus, when or if you do decide you want to do a formal qualification the courses you have already done can often contribute to the qualification so they won’t be wasted.”
Why would I do a Certificate of Proficiency?
Here’s an example for you – you don’t know if you want to be a vet, or an accountant. Very different professions, not a lot of crossover when it comes to tertiary courses. But with a CoP, you could take a few accounting courses, as well as those that would help your vet studies, and then figure out what you prefer.
Or, you’re not looking to embark on a formal qualification, you can simply pick courses you’re interested in learning more about from all corners of the knowledge realm – photography! Medieval history! Urban planning! (Imagine your dinner party chat if you knew about all three…)
Basically, if you fall into any of the following categories, this baby is for you:
- Professionals looking to add to their credibility/ career with upskilling
- Those wanting to see what university is like – the uni sampler, if you will
- Those looking to dabble in passion projects or learning
- Those who are unsure where they want to go with their learning and career
- Those wanting to upskill themselves or prepare themselves before embarking on a formal qualification.
For fourth-year Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences student Brooklyn Miller, the Certificate of Proficiency was her golden ticket to excelling in her chosen field of study. Like so many people, she didn’t quite know what she wanted to do for a career throughout most of her high school time, but realised halfway during her final year of school that becoming a vet could be for her. However, she hadn’t taken chemistry or physics at school, which were part of her pre-vet university courses.
“I decided to take two courses in chemistry and physics as part of a CoP in summer school prior to starting pre-vet the following year,” she tells. “I wanted to set myself up for the best possible chance of selection in a highly competitive course.”
Completing her studies online – even when she was visiting family in Canada – Brooklyn says the courses were essential to her success in her vet studies, as well as helping her transition into university life.
“After completing these courses, I felt confident and well-prepared… I was selected into the Bachelor of Veterinary Science, and I’ll be starting my fifth and final year this November. I’ve loved my studies so far and the more placements I do, the more I know that I’ve chosen the right career. The CoP was such an important aspect of my success for selection in the Bachelor, and I’m so glad I made the decision to complete these papers.”
Her advice for those thinking about embarking on a Certificate of Proficiency?
“Do it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s a great way to find out what you’re passionate about.
“You never know where it can lead you!”
Massey University’s Certificate of Proficiency – What You Need to Know:
- It allows people to try out studying without committing to a full degree.
- The Certificate of Proficiency is not a formal qualification (ironically, you don’t get a certificate!) but it IS a stepping stone for further study, and you can earn credits towards a degree later.
- You can complete the Certificate of Proficiency extramurally, without full-time commitment