PCIfA applicants must provide a statement outlining their education (where relevant) and employed or voluntary roles and say how their current role demonstrates the four areas of the competence matrix. You can include a list of publications here too.
The information you provide using the Statement of competence template to upload or in the boxes on the online form is the most important part of your application and is the primary method the committee use to assess how you meet the criteria. Please note that incomplete new applications online cannot be saved and returned to.
CIfA have developed a suite of specialist competence matrices to assist applicants who work in specialist areas and this can be used alongside the main competence matrix. If you have recently graduated with a CIfA accredited degree you need to apply in the usual way using the accredited degree matrix and guidance.
Education
Please list your degree qualification, title, University and date of completion and a brief outline of the areas covered. If you work in academia, please provide a more detailed outline. Please upload a copy of your certificates, where relevant.
If you do not hold any qualifications, you are still eligible to apply.
Employed or voluntary roles
For each role you have held give the job title, company name, start and end dates, and a brief description of the role and the responsibilities held. Ensure you start with your most recent role and include your entire career.
For your current and most recent roles within the last two years (where relevant), please give detailed information about your main responsibilities, focusing on what you do as the main part of your role, and cover how you demonstrate the four areas of the competence matrix - knowledge, autonomy, coping with complexity and perception of context.
You can approach your statement of competence in different ways
- write it like a job application, describing your main responsibilities and how these fit into the four areas of the competence matrix.
- use the four areas of the competence matrix as headings, write something for each and describe an example of where you did this.
- write about a specific piece of work or project
If your experience has been gained outside the UK it would be helpful if you can include some background information about how the profession operates in that country and how your role fits within the profession.