5 Ways a Professional Qualification Can Add Value To Your Career (And Your Life)

Written by Ellie Blow, 10th April 2025

1) Learn new skills and put them into practice

Gaining a professional qualification is all about learning new things. In the modern trusts and estates industry that’s more important than ever. Regulation and best practices are changing all the time, and studying a qualification gives you the confidence to know that you are working with the best, most up to date information.

But we know you’re busy – you don’t have time to read lots of theory that won’t have any effect on your work. All of our courses are focused on practical advice and guidance from tutors who are expert trust and estate practitioners. They know exactly what skills and knowledge you need to do your job in the best way possible every day.

Whether you’re studying the full STEP Diploma, or taking a deep dive into a subject of interest with one of our shorter e-learning courses, you can come out confident that you’ve been given all the tools you need to succeed.

2) Follow your interests

In the course of your professional life, you may well discover a topic you’d like to know more about. Maybe it’s because it affects your work every day, or maybe it’s just something that really interests you. Either way, a professional qualification is the answer!

The flexible STEP Diploma allows you to pick and choose courses that work for you, your career, and your interests. With topics as varied as Advising Vulnerable Clients and International Trust Management, you can customise your learning to make sure it combines what you need to know with what you want to know.

3) Learn from experts as well as from your peers

The best learning happens when everyone feels comfortable to think differently. CLTI students consistently praise the calibre and expertise of tutors as well as the interaction and safe environment which they create inside workshops and virtual classrooms to help people ask those difficult questions. By tapping into their vast experience, listening to their stories and sharing your own, your confidence in your own abilities will grow.

The sharing of insights between your fellow classmates who come from different organisations, sectors and countries will also broaden your perspectives and help deepen your understanding.   

4) Be recognised globally

If you’re going to put time into studying, you want to come out with something that will make a tangible difference to your career.

A STEP qualification is a globally recognised benchmark for professional quality and experience. Respected across the world by employers, regulators and clients alike, it is a sign of your investment in your own career and skills. STEP Membership grants you access to a network of over 21,000 trust and estate practitioners around the globe, and as a Full Member you can add the ‘TEP’ designation after your name to showcase your expertise at a glance.

5) Stand out from the crowd

A qualification in isolation may not be a substitute for actual hands-on experience, but it still puts you in front of those who don’t have one. And if you can get an interview, it will certainly give you the tools to talk about the subject from a position of strength. 

Ultimately, it’s an investment in your own career and it shows future employers and potential clients that you take your knowledge and skills seriously and work to keep them up to date.