Essential IT qualifications for admin vacancy?

[curlingandtwirling]

I've been in the same admin role for 10 years, but an opportunity has come up for another job within my department on a higher grade. This does not happen very often!
My manager asked me if I would be interested, talked about career progression and generally gave me the nod a few months ago.

However, the job has now been advertised and I don't have the essential IT qualifications required (ECDL 2 and CLAIT 2). I have A levels and NVQ3's and RSA typing, because I'm old! My DSD is currently doing ECDL! I feel as though she has ruled me out as she knows I don't have the qualifications. My company are quite strict with their recruitment process.
I am capable of doing the job, no one else in my team is applying. I feel really angry about this and thinking of going to my HR department.
Any advice, to calm me down, would be appreciated!

Apply - you have nothing to lose and show interest in progression even if you don't think there's a cat in hells chance -

Then offer to do the exams - I did one on the night school - really easy exams -

If the job is being advertised externally then these qualifications may be used as a judge of computer literacy. However, they know you and know what you can do. Apply for the job!

I agree - apply anyway. What do the exams require, could you just go and sit them without too much effort? That way you could put on your application that those items are pending.

Under equality rules they are not permitted to ask for specific qualifications that are not available to other countries or ages. For example, they can't ask for o-levels, as it would discriminate against younger people who took GCSE's. They can only ask for GCSE's or equivalent.

Given this, they can only ask for Clait/ECDL or equivalent. With this in mind, you could say that you are able to produce work that is of the equivalent level and this should be enough. I would say in your personal statement that you are proficient in mail merge/excel/formulae and can evidence this if required (if you can of course).

Apply and see what happens.

If it turns out you do need them then you will have to sign up for evening classes

I was in same situation as you but didn't even have RSA typing although I was typing. Didn't bother me until I was miserable and needed another job

I am in the process of applying for a job with exactly the same criteria and like you, don't have the pieces of paper that say I can do it even though I can.

I looked up and found an ECDL course online that requires 40 hours of study but it cost £200 so I don't want to do that if I can help it.

In the end I emailed the recruiting manager and asked whether it was worth me filling in the application without these 'essential' IT qualifications. He basically said that as long as I had equivalent experience and could demonstrate that, then to go ahead and apply.

Thank you. I'm going to apply. I'm obviously capable or I wouldn't be doing my current job, so will see how it goes from there.

It's made me think more about further training and qualifications, so I'm going to speak to HR and see what's available.