Your role as a Supporter
Your guidance plays a vital part in giving candidates the best possible chance of success - so it's important to understand what's involved.
Who can be a Supporter?
Supporters should have recent, first-hand knowledge of the candidate's professional standing and Chartership competencies. Ideally, you'll be professionally qualified, have worked with the candidate for at least twelve months, and have done so within the last three years.
What you'll need to do
You'll be asked to complete an assessment report form, commenting on the candidate's experience, knowledge and abilities against the relevant competency criteria - seven for CGeol, five for CSci. Make sure you're familiar with the latest Chartership Regulations and the current application process before you do.
Thinking about becoming an Assessor?
If you hold CGeol and/or CSci and have more than five years of post-Chartership experience - or a considerable number of years pre-Chartership - we'd encourage you to consider joining the panel of Chartership Assessors.
At a glance:
- Know your candidate - at least 12 months' experience within the last 3 years.
- Stay up to date with the current Chartership process and regulations.
- Ideally hold the same Chartership your candidate is applying for
A Supporter is a qualified Chartered Fellow with first-hand knowledge of the Chartership competencies of the candidate, usually by working with them.
- Get hands-on experience to prepare you for taking the next step to becoming a Chartership Assessor
- Opportunity to demonstrate and develop your leadership and management skills with 1-1 experience
- Build your CPD portfolio - required to maintain your Chartered status
- Keep your industry knowledge fresh, developing a deeper and broad knowledge about areas in your profession
- Keep your knowledge of the Chartership process up to date
- Become exposed to different approaches and mindsets
- Showcase your dedication to the geosciences
- Build a wider professional network
First, become Chartered. Once you are Chartered, it will depend on what stage of your career you are currently and the level of support you feel able to provide. We recommend the following, based on your membership category:
- Early career – 3 years post-Chartership
- Mid career – 1 year post-Chartership
- Experienced career – 1 year post-Chartership
- 20+ years experienced career - immediately
Please reach out to chartership@geolsoc.org.uk if you are interested and would like some more information.
It is important for the Supporter to be professionally qualified. For CGeol applicants, Supporters should also be a CGeol, and for CSci the Supporter should hold the CSci title. We will accept other professional qualifications such as CSci, CEng or CEnv, and others from recognised overseas professional bodies, provided that this has been agreed with the Society in advance.
By being professionally qualified, the Supporter should not only validate the applicant's eligibility to apply but also be able to provide a professional opinion of the applicant's fulfilment of the Chartership competency criteria.
If the Supporter cannot meet the two criteria of being both Chartered and knowing the applicant for a sufficient time, the applicant should select an additional second Supporter so that both criteria are covered. If a Chartered Supporter cannot be identified, please contact the Chartership Office for further advice at chartership@geolsoc.org.uk
Support your candidate throughout the whole application and validation process; from start > submission > interview
If a Supporter thinks that the applicant is not yet ready for Chartership we expect you will discuss this with them, and we hope you will help them to gain the additional experience or understanding necessary to successfully demonstrate their competencies within their application. This may be directly with the, prior to submitting their application, or if their application is Postponed by the Assessors please work through the feedback with the candidate to help them address the comments provided.
Should an applicant that you have supported be unsuccessful following their interview (and the decision upheld by a Defer Review), it is important that you discuss the notes and advice received from their Assessors. This will help them maximise their chances of success with a further application.
Be up to date with the current Chartership process
Make sure you have read the Guidance for Applicants page.
It may also be useful to join one of our Chartership Zoom events to provide insight and gain extra information into the process.
View the criteria for Chartered Geologists and Chartered Scientists.Make sure your Supporter statement reflects your knowledge of the applicant and their work to demonstrate how they meet the Chartership competency criteria
After submitting their application, the candidate will automatically receive the web link to their application and the link to the Supporter statement form. They should forward both of these to you. If you haven’t received the link from the candidate, please use the link below.
Please review the applicant's submission again before filling out your Supporter statement.
The deadline for submitting your Supporter statement is always two weeks after the Chartership application deadline.
Have any questions about supporting a Chartership application? Send us an email at chartership@geolsoc.org.uk
The deadline for submitting your Supporter statement is always two weeks after the Chartership application deadline.
Submit your Supporter statementAll downloadable resources, criteria documentation, details on election dates and more can be found on the resources page.
Go to resources pageBecome a Chartership Supporter?
Contact the Chartership teamLooking for a Supporter?
Find out more