How Susan Lawrence Gained Respect and Influence with the NEBOSH Diploma

When Susan Lawrence decided to pursue the NEBOSH Diploma, she was already an experienced health and safety manager. But she was looking for the depth of knowledge that would take her influence and expertise to the next level. After completing the Astutis NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma, Susan reflects on a journey that has fundamentally transformed how she approaches her role and the respect she commands in her workplace.

For Susan, the decision to pursue the Diploma was a natural progression after completing her NEBOSH General Certificate.

"I did my General Certificate and it was a natural progression. As I delved deeper into my health and safety career, I obviously wanted to reach graduation status and build my knowledge. The diploma goes far deeper than anything the General Certificate covers, and I applied this to my day-to-day work because I'm a health and safety manager. I found I could apply it so easily to what I do, and it's given me that broader depth of knowledge to carry on and bring others into my skill set as well—to educate and inform others of the brilliance of NEBOSH and everything that it holds."

The experience of completing the qualification was both challenging and deeply rewarding. Looking back on graduation day, Susan describes the sense of achievement that comes from reaching the pinnacle of health and safety qualifications.

"I can't even begin to put into words how immensely proud of myself I am. It's such a massive journey and this is like the icing on the cake. When you get this far and you're able to put on your cap and gown, knowing that you've passed with one of the greatest health and safety institutions in the world—recognized everywhere internationally—it's incredible. I'm a little nervous, which is ridiculous because it's taken two years of blood, sweat and tears, but that's a good thing. I feel grounded, and I just feel immensely proud to reach this day finally."

The quality of Astutis' learning materials played a crucial role in Susan's success. She found the comprehensive resources gave her everything she needed to excel without constantly searching for additional materials.

"The learning materials are second to none. You've got your coursework material, videos, links, extra guidance from tutors, the forum—basically a whole range of areas where you can learn from, and I soaked it up like a sponge. I thought it was amazing. People that have done the diploma know that you can research outside of your coursework, but to be honest with you, it was all there. I found it immensely engaging."

One area that particularly resonated with Susan was the diploma's in-depth exploration of workplace health and wellbeing—topics that are increasingly central to modern health and safety practice.

"It's really hard to pinpoint one area because even with the General Certificate you touch on areas but never really go deep into them. Wellbeing is now a huge part of what we do as health and safety professionals. Going deeper into health surveillance, workplace injuries, and workplace health—like hearing protection and things like that—has given me a much deeper understanding and made me want to explore it more in the workplace. We all know health and safety and risk assessments, but with wellbeing being such a huge part of it now, I think it's so important that we embrace stress risk assessments and everything else that goes with the workplace."

For Susan, the NEBOSH Diploma has transformed how she influences and engages with colleagues and senior leadership.

"Until you reach a certain level, health and safety is always one of those things that companies tend to put up with. But once you display your knowledge—and health and safety is all about influencing others, especially because it's driven from above—if you can talk really well about a subject and sound like you know what you're talking about, able to bring people in and say 'look, have you considered this? Have you considered that?', then they take it more on board. I'm the type of person that likes to influence and guide. The old-fashioned health and safety is very much finger pointing and 'you can't do this', but we can say 'you can do this, however, there are things that we need to consider'. Even just recently passing my diploma, I've found that I'm having more influence over people who are starting to think a bit more about what could happen and the reasons why."

The impact on Susan's professional standing has been immediate. The Diploma has elevated how colleagues perceive her expertise and opened doors for future career progression.

"It's almost the respect you have. It's like 'well, you're in health and safety, but now you've got the diploma'. I work with cohorts and colleagues that already have the diploma, and it's a bit like 'we've respected you before, but we respect you a whole lot more now because you are on the same level as us for knowledge'. I'm happy where I am at my current employment, but obviously I know should I wish to go elsewhere that the diploma would give me a good step in, because people with it are well respected. Already I can't wait to use the knowledge that I've gained from my diploma for further enhancing safety in my workplace."

For professionals considering the Diploma, Susan offers enthusiastic encouragement based on her own transformative experience.

"100%. If you're starting on a health and safety career, the General Certificate is great, but the Diploma gives you that broader, deeper knowledge. If you're already a health and safety professional using it in the workplace anyway, this gives you that extra level of being proactive and applying that knowledge you've learned. It's greatly received, and I think it does open doors—with potential employers, but also your existing employer. It shows that you're really committed to the job you're doing and that you really want to ensure that when you talk about something, you've got a really good handle on what you're saying and can teach others. So absolutely, if anybody needs to convince their management to do the diploma, I think you'll have the ammunition in your hands."

Throughout her journey, Susan found our support team helpful, particularly during challenging moments when perseverance was tested.

"I thought you were absolutely brilliant from day one. I know I can go online and ask any question or get any help. I did fail one of my modules due to some unforeseen circumstances, but Astutis helped me look at where I went wrong and gave me the encouragement not to give up. When you fail, you can think 'why do I want to keep going?', but they said 'keep going, it happens to us all'. I rate you guys so much—I've put my health and safety coordinator on the General Certificate with you, and I've also recommended you to other people in the organization. Thank you for your help, guidance and support. It's amazing."

For Susan, the NEBOSH Diploma has been a career-defining milestone that has equipped her with the knowledge, confidence, and credibility to make a lasting impact on workplace safety. Her journey really does show how the right qualification, combined with exceptional support, can transform not just a career but the lives of those a health and safety professional protects every day.