CIM qualification worth doing?

Hey!

I am a top uni grad in chemistry with a 2.1.
I did a thesis based on marketing and sociology behind chemistry journalism.

After Uni I joined ACA scheme and failed my certificate exams, so I was kicked out.

Do you guys think it is worth doing a CIM? Would it be nicer? Or I will fail again.

Will they take me in knowing I failed ACA?

ACA is accounting, wheras CIM is marketing. It's like comparing apples and pears.

You could easily go about studying ACA on your own should you wish; they do allow resits. If you want to go into accounting with a qualification with lower pass marks, then I suggest to look into ACCA.

With CIM, it's an internationally recognised marketing qualification and it usually holds more weight in industry than academia. If you want to do marketing research in academia, do a master's in marketing. If you want to work in industry, CIM is usually a good qualification to go for.
Like ACA, each qualification is split into standalone awards, and each qualification is separated by NVQ levels.

As you have not done a bachelo'rs in marketing, you will have to start at Level 3 then 6, and finally finishing with 7 (depending on the specialisation you want to take).

Unlike accounting and chemistry, CIM is very essay heavy so you will end up doing a lot of writing (like a lot of essay based subjects e.g. geography, history, business). You cannot use the same approach in chemistry and accounting in marketing.

CIM accepts any candidate, and your prior qualifications/performances generally don't matter. Whilst they don't usually have any specific module on professional standards or ethics (as far as I know), I think the only time they would reject you outright is if you have commited a heinous crime or fraud. Of course, you can contact CIM for confirmation.

Thank you for your reply. Do you think CIM will give you a good-paying career? I did not do as much research yet so it is still an option

To beceom a marketer, you need exactly zero qualifications. A 10 year old waltzing into the company could theoretically be a marketer, if the legal hiring age wasn't mandatory 16 (in practice this is unlikely, because like a lot of jobs that involves judgement and skill, you need experience). As far as I know, this is true for UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. I have not checked the requirements in other countries.

The CIM is though a good qualification to have. For one, you can use it practically anywhere in the world. Second, the relevant levels would make it the equivalent of specific degrees, where you get the qualification at a fraction of the cost and completed in a fraction of the time e.g. less than 1 year to complete.

In terms of pay, as far as I know marketing is about what results you can get, and your level of skills and what sort of experience you have (if you can bring in a lot of business, you will be paid accordingly for example). This is why they don't really care about what qualifications you have and pretty much anyone can join. Whether you thrive is another matter.

Having said that, if you know next to nothing about marketing, CIM is a good way to say that you at least know the basics. Whether you want to go for the higher levels after you complete level 3 is up to you.

Personal bias: I prefer CIM over other UK professional marketing qualifications e.g. IDM, IPA.