You have little to lose by applying.

But most people would take equivalent experience as working at that level in a mainstream HR role.

Hi Graham I have a very similar background to you. I have 10 years experience in retail management - which i'm sure you will agree involves a huge amount of HR responsibility. I started my L5 in September I wasn't sure at the time if I would use it to switch careers into full time HR or gain a deeper understanding to develop my current career path in managing. After getting stuck into the course I decided I would really like to move into HR full time. I thought I wouldn't get really stuck into a new job search until after I finished my course but saw a few really good jobs come up and decided I had notthing to lose putting in a application. I got a few back saying I didn't have enough HR experience, one interview which didn't lead to an offer but I'm very pleased to say my second interview I got a job offer and start my new HR career in July and I'm just over the half way mark on the course. being able to demonstrate my willingness to learn and work towards my qualifications in my own time together with my transferable skills really helped. No harm can come into putting in applications and seeing what happens.

In reply to Katie:

Thanks Katie. I'm in exactly the position you were. I am heavily involved in all aspects of HR for my team and it will be good to consolidate my existing knowledge with some formal learning. Congrats on the new job, it sounds great for you. Out of interest who are you studying with? I'm trying to decide between ICS and DPG, but I'm interested in others experiences with providers.

In reply to Graham:

Hi,
I'm studying with ICS.
I looked at a couple of providers but felt ICS offered most flexibility in how you studied so I could really work through it at my own pace and fit the study time in when it was good for me.
So far i've had a good experience with ICS so would recommend it.