11 March 2024 - 3 min read
CIPD qualifications are the ultimate benchmark in professional HR and L&D training, offering a wide range of incredible benefits, including CIPD Membership.
However, while CIPD qualifications are often praised for progressing your career, we often forget to highlight how CIPD Membership helps with that as well.
To give you more insight, below we highlight the benefits of CIPD Membership so you can get the most out of your investment.
As an HR or L&D professional, becoming a CIPD Member is a mark of your professional credibility, highlighting your commitment to high standards within your industry.
However, which qualification you study will determine what grade of CIPD Member you are and which designatory letters you can use on your CV, LinkedIn, and other social media.
For example:
Student Member
When you enrol on a CIPD qualification, you should become a Student Member of the CIPD. This is a great starting point for your membership, showcasing that you’re committed to your professional career (not to mention it’s now mandatory to be a Student Member before submitting your CIPD assignments).
Foundation Member
Upon completion of the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice, you’ll be upgraded to a Foundation Membership, the most recent addition to the CIPD Membership levels, and the first step to proving your level of credibility and industry knowledge.
Associate Member: ‘Assoc CIPD’
When you complete a CIPD HR or L&D Diploma at Level 5 or Level 7, you’ll automatically earn a CIPD Associate Membership, illustrating your progress and level of competency in the people profession.
Chartered Member: ‘Chartered MCIPD’
After completing a CIPD Level 7 Diploma in HR or L&D (or equivalent), you’re eligible to apply for Chartered Member status, the most sought-after accolade for HR and L&D professionals alike. For more on how to qualify, you can visit the CIPD’s website.
Chartered Fellow: ‘Chartered FCIPD’
This grade of membership level is considered the most prestigious of the five membership grades, proving your strategic abilities and people expertise. In order to qualify to be a Chartered Fellow, you’ll need to have completed a CIPD Level 7 Diploma (or equivalent) and have 1+ years of experience in an HR or L&D role.
If you’re not sure what membership grade you qualify for due to holding alternative qualifications or already having a certain level of experience, you can also gain CIPD Membership through experience assessment. 
It’s no secret that globally recognised CIPD qualifications and a subsequent CIPD membership can open doors to a wide array of career opportunities.
This is because employers tend to favour those people professionals who have a professional CIPD qualification (or equivalent) on their CVs as it demonstrates that as a potential employee, you come equipped with the highest standard of industry knowledge and skills, enabling you to make the ultimate impact in the workplace.
To add, to assist you in progressing in your career, you can also use the CIPD Career Hub in conjunction with the new CIPD Profession Map, both of which are jam-packed with additional tools and resources to help progress your career.
Hand in hand with additional career prospects, the benefits of having a CIPD membership include the opportunity to increase your salary.
Those with the relevant CIPD knowledge and skills are in high demand across every industry, giving you the leverage you need to get your desired salary, with the average mid-level management role earning upwards of £30,000 per annum and those with more extensive experience having the potential to make upwards of £50,000 per annum.
Access to Incredible Resources
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of being a CIPD member is having access to the abundance of online resources that make up the CIPD Knowledge Hub, covering a load of topics including:
From day one you’ll be able to search through tons of CIPD factsheets, reports, and guides, access over 200 online journals through EBSCO, as well as listen to insightful HR and L&D podcasts that will help you at each stage of your career.
Not to mention you’ll also have access to the CIPD’s HR-inform website for customisable model documents, flowcharts, policies, and checklists - and you’ll even have access to four Member Helplines, so no matter what you need assistance with - legal or otherwise - CIPD’s got you covered with their unrivalled support. 
Being a CIPD Member means you can grow your professional network through a range of networking opportunities, including:
Another great thing about being a CIPD Member is that you also have access to exclusive discounts and rewards, including rebates on a range of items including conferences, training, and even your morning coffee!
To take advantage, you can find out more about those discounts here.
Unlock your potential and enrol on one of our flexible, affordable DPG programmes today to get the most out of your HR or L&D career.
Get more information about our CIPD courses
Share this post
15 January 2024 - 3 min read
06 July 2021 - 3 min read
Career Hub
