Changing careers doesn’t always mean leaving your current job behind straight away. If you’re interested in becoming a celebrant, but still work full time, one of your first questions is likely to be whether you can realistically complete your training alongside your existing commitments.
The short answer is yes – but you should also be realistic about the workload involved.
The Certificate IV in Celebrancy (CHC41015) requires a significant time commitment, and becoming a Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant involves more than simply working through a few online modules. With self-paced online study and a sensible weekly routine, however, it is absolutely possible to complete your training while continuing to work.
Here’s what you need to know before getting started.
How Much Time Does Celebrant Training Require?
The Certificate IV in Celebrancy is the nationally recognised qualification commonly used by aspiring Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrants to meet the qualification requirement for registration.
At the Celebrant Institute, students should be prepared to allow at least 20 hours per week over a 12-month period to complete the course on time. Students have a maximum of 12 months to complete the required work, although those who can devote more time to studying may finish sooner.
20 hours is obviously a substantial commitment alongside a full-time job, so it is worth thinking carefully about where those hours will fit into your week before enrolling. You might divide your study into four hours across five evenings, for example, concentrate approximately 10 hours on each weekend day, or land somewhere in between. The advantage of self-paced study is that you can find a routine that works around your own particular commitments.
What Does Studying While Working Actually Look Like?
One of the biggest advantages for people already in employment is that the Celebrant Institute’s Certificate IV is delivered completely online and is self-paced.
There are no organised face-to-face classes for the online course, and no live content delivery that students must regularly attend. Instead, students work through written and video course materials, and complete assessment tasks online.
The flexibility of online study doesn’t reduce the commitment involved, however. There are both practical and theoretical assessments. Students complete written assignments as well as simulated interviews, rehearsals, and ceremony performances that must be recorded. At least one ceremony must be performed in front of 20 or more people.
That means you need to plan for more than simply reading course material after work. Some assessment tasks require preparation, other people, and time to record practical performances. For someone balancing study with a full-time career, therefore, looking ahead at upcoming assessments, and allocating time for them, can be just as important as maintaining your regular weekly study routine.
Do You Have to Study on Your Own?
Just because a course is online and self-paced, doesn’t also mean it’s unsupported. At the Celebrant Institute, students can access support while progressing through the qualification. The current online course also includes fortnightly Zoom sessions on Wednesday evenings, giving students an opportunity to ask questions.
This can be particularly useful when you’re fitting study around work. Rather than having to attend regular daytime classes, you can progress through the course independently while still having opportunities to seek guidance when you need it.
The course is designed to develop the practical, professional, and legal competencies involved in celebrancy. That takes sustained effort, regardless of whether you are studying alongside a job or have considerably more time available.
You Don’t Have to Leave Your Career After Qualifying
There is another reason that keeping your existing job can make sense – becoming a celebrant doesn’t necessarily mean making an immediate switch to full-time celebrancy.
The Australian Government’s National Training Register describes celebrants as generally self-employed. In practice, that makes celebrancy different from qualifying for a conventional salaried position.
Once you have completed the appropriate qualification, you must still apply to the Attorney-General’s Department if you want to become a Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant. Completing the Certificate IV does not itself guarantee registration.
Once you are registered, you can decide how you want celebrancy to fit into your working life. You might initially conduct ceremonies alongside your existing career, rather than immediately trying to make celebrancy your sole source of income.
This can give you time to gain experience and develop your celebrancy practice, without placing unnecessary pressure on yourself to immediately turn a new qualification into a full-time career.
Is Studying While Working Full Time Right for You?
Ultimately, the question isn’t just whether you can undertake celebrant training while working full time. It’s whether you can realistically give the qualification the time and attention it truly requires.
Before enrolling, consider your existing workload, family and social commitments, and whether you can consistently make room for around 20 hours of study each week. You should also remember that practical assessments may require more planning than an ordinary evening study session. If that sounds manageable, there is no reason why full-time employment should prevent you from beginning your training.
The Celebrant Institute’s Certificate IV in Celebrancy is delivered completely online and is self-paced, allowing students to organise their studies around their existing commitments. With up to 12 months to complete the required work, you can establish a study routine that fits around your current career, while also working towards your new one.
