Effort required if you want full CIPD membership

Your correspondent Graham McCullough must be in a different organisation to the one I am a member of. He says he “cannot get full CIPD membership because he isn’t a graduate” (Personnel Today, Letters, 29 May).

I became a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 11 years ago, having successfully applied to take the (then) IPD’s two-stage professional qualification through distance learning.

I had many years of experience, but no degree, having left school at 16 with a handful of GCE O-levels. The process took about three years.

It was quite difficult having to return to study and learn how to research and write academic papers more than 25 years after leaving school, but I did it. I have just successfully applied to upgrade to Fellowship.

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I have a feeling it’s now possible to submit an application based on evidence of practical experience, which cuts out the need to take an examination. I think McCullough needs to make more of an effort.

Ruth Cann, FCIPD