Online Learning is an increasingly popular way for professionals to enhance their careers...without having to leave the comfort of their own homes! It's flexible and convenient nature has been developed to fit alongside full time (and quite often, demanding!) roles and helps you reach your career aspirations in a way to suit you. 

Although initially the thought of working and studying side-by-side can seem quite daunting, especially if you have been out of practice when it comes to studying for some time, Online Learning allows you to ease into it at your own pace, ensuring it will soon become second nature once again. 

So what are the benefits of Online Learning?

Be your own boss

No one knows you better than yourself. You know your own limits, you know when you function best and you know the time you have (albeit, limited). Every student is different and they learn best at different times of day and days of the week. Just because one thing works best for one person, doesn't mean it is going to work for you, and that is the beauty of this study method - it allows you to go at your own pace and set your own study plan. 

Consider us your aid

Don't panic - although the majority of the time you are left to manage your own time and studies, we won't leave you in the dark, amongst the sea of learning resources. Study materials are set out for you on a week-by-week basis so you know exactly which resources to read, listen to and watch. There will be secondary reading to do along the way, but this is also recommended so you know which direction to head in. We are here to support you during your studies and so it is essential to us that we make things as seamless as possible to fit in around your limited time. 

Resources come in many forms

If you find it difficult to learn from books, the good news is Online Learning provides a whole set of online materials. E-books are included in the study plan but so are podcasts, which can be listened to on-the-go. Webinars are an easier way to take in certain topics, with a real practitioner from our faculty explaining what it all means is greater detail and how it applies to businesses. The latter is also useful for your assessments, as some tutors provide further guidance on the brief for the next assessment, allowing you to ensure you're heading in the right direction. Of course, these are all available for you to view at your leisure. 

Library trips are no more!

Does studying bring back memories of endless searching across the library shelves for content to use as references? Wouldn't it be nice if they were available at your finger tips, without you having to go anywhere? If you're needing some secondary reading on a certain topic, not only do we recommend core sources to you, which cuts out the middle man of you having to search, the online library, provided by CIM, allows you to search further for resources and / or terms. You can do this any time and anywhere to suit you.

You're not on your own

So you've set up your own study time, spread your notes across the table and have your snacks to hand...but now you have a question and you're not sure who to ask. The great thing about remote tutor support is that you can contact them at any time during your studies via email and you are assigned a specialist for each module. Tutors are established practitioners themselves, who can help apply the theory you learn throughout your course to your own organisation and understand the terminology and models available in greater depth. If you have a particularly tricky query, that you feel may require more time, you can arrange a phone or Skype call for further ease. For each of your modules you will have an assessment. The added bonus is that your tutors will take a look at one draft of your assignment or exam practice questions for you and provide comments before you submit your final. 

Take your course anywhere

I mean this in two senses.

1. The CIM and CIPR qualifications are recognised worldwide and so if your career takes you to new and exciting places, employers will know about your qualification. Sometimes professionals question a qualification's recognition before they begin their studies and with good reason. If their career goals are to take their profession to another country, they need to know all their hard work will be easily recognised by potential employers.

2. If you begin your studies in one place and your career takes you to another mid-study, the good news is you can carry on your studies from any location worldwide. 


We appreciate that taking the plunge and deciding to study for your professional marketing or PR qualification takes commitment, but we want to make sure your studies run as seamlessly as possible. With up to 24 months support, course depending, we want to ensure you give yourself plenty of time and take your studies at your own pace. The hard work will be worth it and you can rest assured you are taking the time to develop your career at a pace that suits you and your lifestyle. If you're still unsure, listen to previous College student and now tutor, Lucy Lehane, who talks about her experiences juggling work, home and study life in under 5 minutes:



If you would like any advice, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our team will be happy to go through any of the above points with you, talk more about our study resources or how best to manage your time.