I am currently a health and safety practitioner with about 7 years under my belt, but as someone who has needed to save to complete a masters and has not completed diploma because of that I find myself at a particular disadvantage to those with diploma who have less experience. So I have started to widen my job search (particularly as my current contract is coming to an end soon) and I have been invited to interview for job that is more on the public health side of things, honestly this has me worried about impact on my career because really its not something I am interested in but I need money and would only take it to keep me going until I sort my masters. Would it be a bad career move? Any of you more senior people out there have any advice about how it looks when practitioners CV contains experience that is slightly off the beaten path?

I would recommend leaving that out of any applications in future, whatever the job.

lol yeah I read that after I pressed go but that isn't what I meant to say what I meant is its something I don't have experience in so I haven't taken an interest in before, kind of if that makes sense.

I am interested in the working with local business aspect definitely and I do really enjoy working with people helping them to achieve good sensible health and safety solutions and systems. I am just worried I haven't looked at the whole picture with this role and also that I only see it as a temporary side step so in that respect is it better to go unemployed for a bit until I find something more fitting.

Thanks for the guidance and well wishes though, I really want to just be there already just get my feet under a table and really start making some positive impact with an organisation.

I have a very varied & unusual CV - no NEBOSH Diploma for starters but I'm CMIOSH. My transferable skills were much more valued than my initial qualification - although it was probably my Environmental Health degree that gave me them...I did 10 years in enforcement, followed by consultancy, social care, a very well known charity (with stately homes), facilities management & am now in the NHS - I love it!
If you want rewarding, challenging, occasionally tear your hair out frustrating, I'd recommend a health setting. Don't dismiss it simply because you don't fancy it or it's a means to pay the bills. On the other hand, if you're really not sure, leave it for those that are...

Although I am 60 and I have a senior (safety management) role, it is not where I anticipated being twenty years ago when I then had a railway safety role. I am certain that had I stayed on the railway, I would have not have become a Chartered Fellow of IOSH and a Chartered Builder delivering a technical lead within a FTSE 250 company.

If I were advising a much younger self, my first piece of advice would be to prepare a career plan, however careers often choose you rather than you choosing them! The second is that the world of work is rapidly changing and I am not expecting the safety management role to be the same in ten to fifteen years’ time. In terms of the Diploma vs Masters, my view is that the Diploma could win you Safety Management work in the short time, however the Masters will have much more scope in the longer term!