What follows is my response to an email sent to me from a competent construction site manager who had recently achieved a Level 6 NVQ in construction management and was in the process of applying for full CIOB membership via the CIOB industry route.

Well, first of all, this is typical of many candidates who are confident in their ability to complete the application, have taken on board the guidance given by the CIOB, as it appears to be a reasonably straightforward application.

So what relevant services could we offer such an applicant? It’s quite natural for a candidate to look at this application from their own perspective, believing that they can complete the application at a professional level. And there lies the problem and therein lies the issue!

With an NVQ 6, a candidate has indeed completed a construction qualification at a management level. However, the application for MCIOB via the industry route needs to be completed at a professional level, the next level, which is higher than just a management level. It is in fact to be completed from the perspective of an individual operating at a senior management position.

It also means that the application has to be completed with a limited word count, written in a report style and be completed at a degree level. This is of itself should not be a huge issue for those who already have a degree and are able to write at a degree level.

So, what does it mean to write at degree level? It means that you can convey complicated ideas, information and experience using the written word simply with precisely the correct grammar, writing in report style consistently in each section of the industry route application.

It’s important to note that it is impossible to complete this application using a narrative style. One must write in a report style and so therefore, it is for these reasons that the CIOB advocate that all who are applying using the industry route, have a mentor,  particularly if they’re not familiar with writing at degree level.

The mentoring service we provide at Rivasure gives additional guidance, either by audio or in written form. Our practice is to review the candidate’s first report in detail, so that the level of the candidate’s ability to write at a degree level can be assessed and our feedback is used as a benchmark for the sections that follow. Thus with respect to content, style and grammar, we can ensure that all reports are submitted at the correct level.

The most common piece of advice and guidance I find myself giving candidates in supporting them with their application relates to citing examples in their application from their working history. Very often I’m asked about what should we write about and they name a few examples. As we discuss these examples it’s important to identify as to whether the examples were at a management level or at a professional level.

So what examples can be cited at a professional level? It’s not that candidates have not worked at a professional level, but it is necessary to align or retrieve those examples from the candidates personal working history, and confirm which are most suitable. It is this guidance in of itself, that our candidates find most helpful.

The advantage of using a mentoring service is that it avoids a sizeable amount of corrections after the desk top review is made by the CIOB. In many cases this will lead to the application being rejected. It may be the case that if there are things missing or written incorrectly, and I have seen such CIOB reports, there will be a lot of corrective work in order to make sure that the application is delivered to the CIOB Application Assessor at the correct standard.

To receive one of these reports for corrections is somewhat disheartening so it’s much better to present well at the first attempt. Making extensive corrections to an already completed application that has not met the standard is very much more time consuming than writing it at the correct standard first time. We therefore, once an application has reached a desktop review, want it to pass straight through to the candidate CIOB membership assessor.

If an application goes straight through to the assessor, having had a complete desktop review, all reports will be formally assessed. If the assessor is satisfied with the application, it will pass through to the CIOB internal verifier who in turn will pass it on to the external verifier.

Only when the application has passed this quality assurance process will MCIOB be awarded. However, at any stage in the whole process, it could be that the candidate is asked to clarify certain sections or be asked for more information. The final outcome, after having gone through the external verification is four fold. First, it could be the application is deferred, which is a polite way of saying the application has been refused. Second, as already mentioned, there could be some additions or points to be clarified. Third, it could be that the CIOB would like to offer you a chance to come and meet them for interview. This is to be considered as a positive thing because they want to get to know you better. And lastly, the application could be passed as successful, MCIOB is awarded and you will be invited to a ceremony to receive your certificate.

So all in all it is quite a lengthy process and so to shorten the process I’d encourage all applicants to get a mentor, get our additional guidance, get the support, particularly if you’ve not completed or written at degree level before. Our candidates take advantage of our services for all of the aforementioned reasons and one other! That is, they enjoy and appreciate the support, peace of mind, and confidence gained when completing their applications as they complete their applications with our established mentoring service.

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