Programming wasn't a planned career move on my part; When the council acquired their own small ICL systemI taught myself BASIC and then COBOL from computer manuals purely out of interest in the subject. This enthusiasm and the COBOL programs I developed for the council's car park fines was enough for me to transfer into the newly-formed computer section where, after they went IBM I taught myself RPGIII, so no actual computer or programming qualifications, just a lot of practical experience - program development and enhancement on the AS400 using RPGIII and CLP; AS400 programming functions such as Query, DFU and SDA. That plus my basic qualifications - ONC Business Studies, 'A' level Accounting, 'A' level English Literature and 6 'O' Levels
And more recently, OCR Business Diploma