My MCIPS journey

Starting her career in renewable energy, Victoria Proctor was soon hooked on the world of procurement and supply, joining the marketing services company dentsu in 2023 as a procurement manager, part of their global procurement function.

“I really enjoy the power of making a difference,” says Victoria when asked why she pursued a career in procurement. It’s not all about reducing costs, it’s looking at “what we buy, how we buy it and how we mitigate risk” she adds. "You get to speak to so many different people with interactions across all areas of the business and other businesses”. This makes a change from a typical office job.

Why did you want to be MCIPS qualified?

Victoria first realised the value of MCIPS when looking at the “target roles” she wanted in the buying industry - “they all required MCIPS or working towards MCIPS”. She realised that MCIPS not only makes you a desirable candidate, but heightens your career progression, so jumped at the first opportunity and requested MCIPS when offered work-sponsored training.

What route to MCIPS did you take? 

After studying fashion buying at the University of Lincoln, Proctor completed MCIPS in 2022 via CIPS Professional Qualifications.

Your route to MCIPS: there are four flexible pathways to MCIPS; CIPS Professional Qualifications, CIPS Corporate Award, CIPS Management Entry Route, and Accredited Degree. For more information on how to achieve CIPS Full Membership (MCIPS), how to apply and the benefits please visit our MCIPS homepage.

It took Victoria around five years to reach qualification, but she says that the timeline is irrelevant – “as long as you start the journey, it doesn’t matter how long it takes”. It may seem like a slog at the time, but it’s worth it at the end.

How has MCIPS benefitted your career in procurement and supply? 

The instantaneous benefit is your increase in “hire-ability” says Victoria. MCIPS allows you to be considered for roles “alongside more seasoned procurement individuals”. It opens doors across multiple sectors and industries. It goes “hand in hand with career progression, promotions and pay rises”, and is undoubtedly beneficial to your procurement and supply job search.

On a more personal note, Victoria believes that, although evolving, the procurement profession is still a “very male-dominated space”. An MCIPS qualification and being part of the CIPS community can help build up your “authority”. It can increase access to more senior roles and raises the profile of women within the industry – a notion echoed by fellow MCIPS-qualified senior procurement manager, Abeer, Abu Sadaa during a CIPS webinar in September 2022.

Not to mention, it allows you to showcase your dedication to the role – “yes I’m serious about my career, yes I’m invested – and here’s the proof”.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of taking MCIPS, or those already working towards MCIPS?

“Take your time, it’s not just about passing the qualification, it’s about understanding and implementing your learnings”. Your focus should be on what you’re gaining from the qualification, she stresses, “you’re doing this for you”. Having MCIPS is one thing, but implementation is key – the real value is in lifelong learning.

We’d love to hear your MCIPS stories, please email us at editorial@cips.org.

Take the next step in your career and get MCIPS qualified today!