# Reptile Courses ????



## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

Hey everyone, i recently started a Reptile Care course with Compass Education 

And Training. Was wondering if anyone else as every done any courses with 

them ?? The course is from home all the paper work as been sent too me and 

cost £150 too which i thought was really cheap compared paying too go 

too college lol. It says this course has been designed for reptile owners and 

for those working in the pet industry, including pet shops, pet rescue and pet 

boarding which sounded perfect for me as i own quiet a few different reptiles 

and i would like too work with them in the near future :2thumb: .. Im finding 

it rather easy and alot of the questions seem really simple and things i knew when

i was younger once i have finished this course next month i will be starting 

the Herptile Care, Welfare and Husbandry - Diploma they do then after that

i want too do the Herpetology - Diploma course aswell they have.. Are these

courses worth doing?? and worth the money they cost as all 3 alltogether will 

cost around £800, im hoping when i have done them all i could possibly work 

in a reptile zoo or in a big reptile shop or possibly open my own reptile shop 

lol


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## Tommy Coopers Ghost (Sep 14, 2014)

Dont Know Compass Myself Mate... but their canine courses get a lot of positive Chatter on dog Forums...


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## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

Tommy Coopers Ghost said:


> Dont Know Compass Myself Mate... but their canine courses get a lot of positive Chatter on dog Forums...


Ive only ever heard of Compass lol my mum used too be a school teacher and the exams the kids did was supplied by Compass.. Ive seen people saying bad things about these courses from home that they never got anything from it and was ripped off when they handed it in too be marked they go no return and no grades or certificates, thats why i went with Compass as ive seen lots of possative feedback


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## wagg (Feb 6, 2014)

cant say i know anything about them or their courses but good luck mate. hope you do well. id love to own my own reptile shop but there just isnt enough money around here to make a living out of it. there are a couple around already but theres only really one decent one. wildside. but good luck.:2thumb:


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## UKCB (Nov 14, 2012)

Is the qualification recognised anywhere? 

If not, save your money and just read everything you can thats already out there. I very much doubt it will teach you anything you cant find information on for free elsewhere.


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## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

wagg said:


> cant say i know anything about them or their courses but good luck mate. hope you do well. id love to own my own reptile shop but there just isnt enough money around here to make a living out of it. there are a couple around already but theres only really one decent one. wildside. but good luck.:2thumb:


Thanks mate


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## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

UKCB said:


> Is the qualification recognised anywhere?
> 
> If not, save your money and just read everything you can thats already out there. I very much doubt it will teach you anything you cant find information on for free elsewhere.


Yeeahh on there website it says there courses are widely recognised and accredited. Around where i live all the reptile shops say the same thing when i ask for jobs and that is they are not looking for no one but hopefully when i pass this first course that should help me get a job if not definitly when i do the other courses lol and if that dont get me a job ive been thinking about getting a buisness loan out and opening a small reptile shop near me as closes reptile shop too me is a good 20-30minute drive away


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## UKCB (Nov 14, 2012)

biggie01 said:


> Yeeahh on there website it says there courses are widely recognised and accredited. Around where i live all the reptile shops say the same thing when i ask for jobs and that is they are not looking for no one but hopefully when i pass this first course that should help me get a job if not definitly when i do the other courses lol and if that dont get me a job ive been thinking about getting a buisness loan out and opening a small reptile shop near me as closes reptile shop too me is a good 20-30minute drive away


lol, im sure it does, but recognised and accredited by who? 

Your £800 would be much better spent elsewhere imho, this sounds like a massive waste of your money. 

I would ask the shops if you can help out for free, research what you need to know online, the situation with the shops will still be the same if you do this "qualification".

getting a loan and opening a reptile shop in this economy is very very bad idea, retail shops are closing all the time, its a dieing business model.


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## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

UKCB said:


> lol, im sure it does, but recognised and accredited by who?
> 
> Your £800 would be much better spent elsewhere imho, this sounds like a massive waste of your money.
> 
> ...


The reason most reptile places wont hire me is the fact i dont have much too put on a CV.. Soo if i apply for a job and leave my number they will see ive passed reptiles courses and then should ring me as soon as they need someone as it shows i know what im doing and love reptiles


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## UKCB (Nov 14, 2012)

biggie01 said:


> The reason most reptile places wont hire me is the fact i dont have much too put on a CV.. Soo if i apply for a job and leave my number they will see ive passed reptiles courses and then should ring me as soon as they need someone as it shows i know what im doing and love reptiles


or they still wont employ you and will employ a friend or someone with experience instead...

its your money mate.


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## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

UKCB said:


> or they still wont employ you and will employ a friend or someone with experience instead...
> 
> its your money mate.


i know what you are saying but this day and age no buisness is bothered unless you have qualifications.. Like my brother he can literally rebuild cars from ground up and do any work on a car you asked him too but because he as not been too college and because he does not have any qualifications too show this no garage is interested as they would rather hire someone that as been too college and so on. If i had my own reptile shop and 5 people applied for a job and only one had qualifications with reptiles i would pick that person


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## UKCB (Nov 14, 2012)

in my experience it's the other way round, I'll take the guy with experience over the guy with a piece of paper any day. 

Good luck with it and I hope it works out how you hope it does.


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## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

UKCB said:


> in my experience it's the other way round, I'll take the guy with experience over the guy with a piece of paper any day.
> 
> Good luck with it and I hope it works out how you hope it does.


But when they have the paper it proves they have experience, some people who just have a pet beardie will say they are experienced lol thanks anyways


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## UKCB (Nov 14, 2012)

biggie01 said:


> But when they have the paper it proves they have experience, some people who just have a pet beardie will say they are experienced lol thanks anyways


It doesn't, it proves that they have a piece of paper ( that they have the ability to pass some sort of exam). 

I run a garage that fixes taxis, I might employ your brother because it sounds like he can fix cars, if someone came to me fresh out of college with a car maintenance certificate I would lol.


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## biggie01 (Feb 23, 2012)

UKCB said:


> It doesn't, it proves that they have a piece of paper ( that they have the ability to pass some sort of exam).
> 
> I run a garage that fixes taxis, I might employ your brother because it sounds like he can fix cars, if someone came to me fresh out of college with a car maintenance certificate I would lol.


My brother as worked with cars, motorbikes and anything else with a engine most of his life lol he likes his older cars like mk 1 escorts and all that and he as a old Nova he loves lol hes got a new engine too fit in that once he as got is twin carbs for the new engine and all new exhaust etc lol every garage he as applied too say same thing " you have not qualifications " i think its bull:censor: hands on experience is better then a piece of paper yeah but now days alot of places see that paper as proof


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## UKCB (Nov 14, 2012)

If he only works with old cars they are probably just being polite, those skills don't really transfer to new cars, your brothers is the exact opposite experience of mine.


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## stylecreep (Aug 18, 2014)

Have you checked with the staff in the stores you would like to work; which, if any, courses / qualifications they have? I know certain chains of aquarium stores insist on a specific qualification for their staff.


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## The Hypnotoad (Oct 24, 2011)

biggie01 said:


> The reason most reptile places wont hire me is the fact i dont have much too put on a CV.. Soo if i apply for a job and leave my number they will see ive passed reptiles courses and then should ring me as soon as they need someone as it shows i know what im doing and love reptiles


In a dream world fed to kids by schools and colleges, in the real world that would never happen.

Like a lot of people have said, locally run reptile and fish shops are a dieing breed and more and more are closing day by day, you arnt being considered for a job because most of these shops dont have the wages to pay for more than a couple of people and even then its family or firends that are not getting a propper wage.

The shops that are successful have built up a good reputation over the years and are surviving not by local customers but by people coming all over the country to their store (Blue lizard, Ferrybridge aquatics, coast to coast ect ect) the rest are being taken over by national chains (Mainly [email protected] and Maidenhead).

As for the the qualification, these local stores are not looking for people with a piece of paper (definately not one done at home) they are looking for people they know and trust with their animals. Your analagy with your brother fails becuase a trade is completely different to this, Pet keeping is not a trade its a hobby/love. 

Personally I think your going about all of this all wrong, Id go into a couple of shops and speak to the owners about doing some voluntary work for them and gain some experience and then ask if they would be willing to be a reference on your CV. You never know if you impress they may hire you. Failing that I know a lot of shops do handling and caring sessions now, it might be working paying for that instead of wasting money on a £800 course.


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## Tommy Coopers Ghost (Sep 14, 2014)

im not gonna be a Dreamsquasher mate... hey my Friend did distance Learning horticulture courses... they Landed him a job gardening at a National trust Property, they gave him a Chance because he Proved he had Taken the Effort to educate himself... hes now self employed charging 200 Squid a day labour...

the FlipSide is how many people did same course 
never made anything out of it?

it is a fair amount of Spends bud...

my Advice would be, if the syllabus Looks like stuff you would like to Learn for your own self Interest anyway, then go for it, you might Learn stuff... do it as a hobby learning course... if it Advances any career hopes you have, thats a bonus...


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## Tommy Coopers Ghost (Sep 14, 2014)

heres an idea Mate...

how about contacting Compass, tell them you are a Member of this forum, Which is relevant to their course, And in exchange for a Healthily discounted, or Gratis, course, you will put up a full Review of their course on here, to the wider UK Reptile keeping community???

youll need to Approach them right, but itll be the best publicity they can get...

if you dont ask, you dont get!!!


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## supatips (May 29, 2012)

Tommy Coopers Ghost said:


> heres an idea Mate...
> 
> how about contacting Compass, tell them you are a Member of this forum, Which is relevant to their course, And in exchange for a Healthily discounted, or Gratis, course, you will put up a full Review of their course on here, to the wider UK Reptile keeping community???
> 
> ...


Reptile Forums - FAQ: RFUK Specific FAQ


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## StannosLolSnake (Nov 23, 2013)

I'm going to do a zoology course at London zoo during the 2015 summer hols, if you have the money I'm sure it would be worth it


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## clumsyoaf (Oct 23, 2012)

I am another one who thinks this course sounds like a colossal waste of time and money. I would go into whatever shop you get your live food or rodents from (as they will know you and what you keep best) and say that you're considering doing x course, but you're not sure if it would help, would they consider hiring someone if they had this or a similar course, or would they prefer the experience of someone else who has worked in shops etc before? 

If yes course, then go for it
If yes experience, ask them if you can volunteer in the shop for a couple of hours a week, make it clear you're happy to make tea, sweep the floor and clean out vivs. By working in the shop you're picking up experience, gaining their trust AND you should be one of the first to know about any vacancies...win win win! Plus you're getting experience for your CV. 

I would employ someone with experience over qualifications, and someone who has done stuff like DofE as it shows they're actually an interesting, committed person


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