Career Opportunities

Let’s play a quick game… What do you think one of our most frequently asked questions is? No cheating and looking at our FAQs section!

Did you guess it? What gave it away, the title of this blog? Well done if you got the correct answer. The question we are always asked is what level can you assess up to, following the completion of an assessor qualification. As you can imagine, there are several factors that this answer depends on: your experience, qualifications, and guidance set out by the awarding body. Not to mention your employer’s individual policies too.

You need to be Occupationally Competent

What we mean here is that you need to ‘know your stuff’. You should have vast experience working within the occupation you want to assess learners in. The short answer is that you can assess and level that you are deemed to be occupationally competent. We need to have a look into this in more detail though.

The most important thing to be aware of is that you need to meet the requirements set out in the awarding organisation’s qualification documents. The awarding body matters when you choose a training provider, and it is important that you take the time to read through the full specifications before choosing your qualification. It will include everything you need to know, including the ‘Requirements for Assessors’. This is specific information regarding what level you can assess up to.

Not Qualified but Occupationally Competent

The hard thing to determine is what classes as ‘occupationally competent’. If you take a look at some of the specifications, you will notice they don’t require you to hold the respective qualification in order to assess it. So essentially, you could assess learners taking the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Hairdressing without having the qualification yourself. Of course you would need to show evidence of occupational competence in this particular field though.

That is why the question ‘what level can I assess up to?’ is such a hard one to answer. At the end of the day, it really comes down to the individual training provider or college. They are the only ones who can decide the requirements for their own assessors.

Experienced but Not Qualified

There is also the grey area where people who have been working in a specific industry for years, but aren’t qualified. In general, we would always advise that you need to be qualified up to the level that you are wanting to assess in. There will be many more job prospects as a qualified assessor so it really is worth becoming qualified in your field.

We hope this has helped to answer the question for you, but we do agree that it is a confusing area. Everyone’s situation is different so there is no right or wrong answer. Feel free to give our expert team a call on 01205 805 155 if you are still unsure.

Firstly, congratulations on getting through the challenging part and passing your Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement. You should be very proud of yourself. Now that you have got this new qualification under your belt, it is time to start preparing for those NVQ assessor interviews.

Hopefully you will have already read our guide on creating a CV, which will have helped you land the all-important interview. Now before you start getting stressed about how to handle the interview, remember no-one likes them. It is a daunting time, and you have a very limited window to make the best first impression on your prospective employer. Here are some of our top tips to make sure you are prepared.

Before The Interview

Preparation is the key to doing well in most things in life. There is nothing worse than turning up to an interview without doing some background research. One of the first questions you will be asked is ‘Why do you want to work for this company?’. If you have not taken the time to look into the culture and history of the company, you will find it very hard to answer the question.

Take the time to thoroughly dissect the job description too. Think about how your skills and experiences match what the employer is looking for. It is always a good idea to take your up to date CPD record with you to the interview to help back up your knowledge. Remember to prepare a list of potential questions to ask during the interview. This will help you understand more about the position being advertised. The interview is an opportunity for you to make sure that you would feel comfortable in the new role too.

Another key tip for preparing for an interview is to plan your outfit well in advance. It is a good idea to try it on a week before the date, and make sure you are comfortable sitting down and walking up a flight of stairs in it. There is nothing worse (for the ladies) than finding the perfect skirt but not being able to walk or sit down in it! Even if your interviewer states that a smart-casual dress code is perfectly acceptable, it is always best to err on the side of caution and dress to impress.

On The Day

So you have spent a lot of time preparing for the interview, and the day has finally rolled around. You should feel that there is nothing more you can do – just be yourself. Make sure you arrive at the interview around 10 minutes before it is due to start (and give yourself enough extra time to allow for traffic). If you arrive earlier than this, you can always sit in your car and run through your notes one last time.

During the interview itself, try to answer the questions to the best of your ability, and give examples of how you have gained experience. For example, if you have shadowed experienced assessors, be sure to mention it.

Common Questions Asked

A quick Google search will provide you with a list of the most common interview questions, such as ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?’. We have also put together some potential questions that are more specific to assessing:

1. Tell me a bit about yourself, your skills and your NVQ Assessing experience?
2. Which occupational area can you assess in?
3. What is your approach to observing and assessing Candidates?
4. How do you offer advice to candidates who are not meeting the standards?
5. What is your process for keeping records of your candidates’ progress?
6. How do you keep yourself up to date with sector changes?
7. How do you split your hours between your caseload of learners?

There will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions, so it is always a good idea to have these written out to take into the interview with you. Do not include questions related to salary, as this will make you look money orientated. If the interviewer thinks you are the right fit for the job, your salary will be discussed at a later date.

Things You Should Never Do

As well as a few of the things we have mentioned already, one thing that is unacceptable in an interview is being disrespectful about a previous employer. This will portray you as a negative person and could very easily put someone off from hiring you.

Remember to turn your phone and smartwatch notifications off before you enter the interview too. There is nothing more embarrassing than hearing your ringtone coming from your pocket right in the middle of an interview.

We hope this has given you some actionable tips to nail your interview, and help you on your path to becoming an NVQ assessor. Good luck, shoulders back, and don’t forget to smile!

An NVQ assessor is a very popular career path for several different reasons. You can be an assessor in any field that you have experience in, and there is always a high demand for NVQ assessors in most industries. It is a great opportunity to make more time for you, and help you to achieve a better work-life balance.

The one common thing assessors share is the reason they chose to train. As well as being a very rewarding career, here are some more advantages of becoming an NVQ assessor.

More family time

Whilst becoming a parent is one of the most incredible and rewarding times in life, returning to work after can be difficult. You may have decided that you don’t want to go back to your old job as it doesn’t provide you with the flexibility you now require; but you still need to pay the bills. That is why becoming a freelance NVQ assessor is a good career for a parent.

Freelance assessors are able to carry out knowledge-based assessments at a time that suits them, from the comfort of their own home. The only time they have to venture outside is to carry out competency-based assessments at the learner’s workplace. With freelance assessors earning anywhere from £12-£35 an hour, it is an attractive career choice for those with families.

Recent redundancy

The economic climate is particularly unstable at the moment, with many people losing their jobs and unsure of the future. For many people, becoming an NVQ assessor is a logical move. All you need is experience within an industry (occupational competence) and an assessor qualification. If you have recently become redundant, we are here to help.

Becoming an NVQ assessor is a great career move if you have had years of experience working within a specific role. If you have picked up some additional qualifications along the way, then even better – you are one step closer to applying for jobs as an NVQ assessor.

Change is often good

We can all become a bit stale in our jobs. Lots of our learners head down the assessor path because they are after a change in direction. The thought of a fresh start and a new experience can be very enticing when you have been in the same career for a long time. It is also a great way to help others, using your skills and knowledge to educate them.

There are many different job prospects as a qualified assessor, some that you may not have even thought of. You could become a work-based tutor delivering apprenticeship programmes in the field you are an expert in, or you could become a distance learning assessor if that suits your lifestyle better. For those who are motivated by a high salary, a curriculum manager is a very rewarding job.

Bring more skills to your current role

Not everyone who becomes an NVQ assessor is looking for a career change. Some are just wanting to build upon their existing role, or gain the skills necessary for an in-house promotion. More organisations are looking to upskill their current workforce, as opposed to paying for external assessors. Why not have a chat with your HR department about the possibility of in-house assessing for your organisation, you never know where it may lead!

Health issues

Finally, one of the common reasons to become an NVQ assessor, particularly within the construction industry, is due to health complications. As one gets older, the body can’t quite keep up with the physical demands of the job. However with an extremely competent brain, many construction workers turn their hands to providing training instead. Training to become an NVQ assessor is ideal if you have health problems that are limiting you from carrying out a physically demanding job. It is an opportunity to pass your skills and knowledge onto the next generation of recruits.

If you would like any more information about why a career in NVQ assessing could be the right choice for you, please call us on 01205 805 155.

We spend over 90,000 hours at work over the course of our lifetime, which equates to ⅓ of our life. Many of us get trapped in the cycle of getting up, going to work, and only having a couple of hours in the evening to spend with our families. It can feel like a never-ending cycle, particularly when you don’t enjoy the job you have. What you need, is a work-life balance.

Work-Life Balance

Today is the day to start thinking about a career change if you are unhappy in your current role. It is important that you have a good work-life balance, and by having a flexible career as a freelance NVQ assessor you will be surprised at the extra time you will have to spend with your loved ones.

At Brooks & Kirk we have a range of assessor qualifications to choose from, whether you are looking to assess learners in the workplace, refresh your assessor skills, or become a fully qualified assessor with the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA).

Why Become an Assessor?

Becoming an assessor doesn’t just offer flexibility and freedom that a 9-5 job lacks, it is also a very rewarding career. It will also give you a sense of purpose as you will be helping others improve upon their skills. We go into further detail on our ‘What does an Assessor do?’ page, but the main role of an assessor is to observe learners, provide support and guidance, and help them on their way to achieving their desired qualifications.

Get in Touch Today…

There are many job prospects for assessors, and there is often a high demand across a range of sectors from Health and Social Care, to Childcare, Business Services, Construction and Hair & Beauty. If you would like further information on whether training to become an NVQ assessor is the right choice for you, please contact our team on 01205 01205 805 155 and we will be more than happy to answer your questions.