PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSIGHT
Diary of a student… Carol Newman MCIPPdip
How did you cope with the work life balance and your study? Sometimes it could be quite challenging but if you have a supportive family (as I did) then it helps. You need to have a plan in place. I tried to do a lot after work and give myself the odd day off to regenerate. It is not good to try and cram a lot in at once because your mind can’t digest it and when you get tired I found nothing went in. I had to have set rest periods. So, planning is the key, and make time for yourself too. Did the fact that the CIPP is Chartered or recognised within the industry influence your decision to enrol with the CIPP? And were there any particular modules which were of interest prior to enrolling? Yes, very much so. I had already completed the AAT qualification and before moving into payroll was looking into doing a CIMA [Chartered Institute of Management Accountants] qualification. I think that having the Chartered factor is important and recognised by so many industries. I have no doubt that this degree will be factual if I ever need to move on from the role I am currently in. For someone who is thinking about studying for a CIPP qualification what would your advice be to them? Go for it. It’s probably (apart from having my family) the best decision I have ever made. I began ‘proper study’ when I was forty so you are never too old either. The CIPP has given me the chance to gain experience, knowledge and the understanding that I can be whatever I want to be and so can you. Just take the step. n
Payroll co-ordinator, Cornerways Nursery
Can you give us a brief background into your life? I am originally from Suffolk but have always lived within a fifteen-mile radius of the three borders of Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. I love village life and being part of a small community. I am very much a family person and love spending time with them, even just chilling in front of the telly. Can you give us an insight into your career and qualifications background? After factory work ended for me to have a family of four, I moved into working in schools to enable me to balance family and work. In the 1990s, I worked in two schools as a classroom assistant. I had several different roles, and where I cleaned part-time in a local charity-run community centre I was asked to help within the office. It is here I began to think more about my career. There were people of all ages coming to learn the computers and better themselves. I had no idea of how to use a computer but now had the perfect opportunity to learn so took it. Once I’d mastered Word, Excel and PowerPoint I looked for more challenging options. I have always loved maths so enrolled on an AAT [Association of Accounting Technicians] course with the idea of becoming an accountant. Once the course was complete I was successful in gaining roles in other sectors doing accounting work. These roles were part-time and as my family was growing
I looked for a more permanent full-time position. In 2009, I was lucky in finding a role with my current company. The role began as a mixture of accounts and payroll which I loved. I tried to teach myself payroll at home but felt I didn’t have the required disciplines in place to continue. As things progressed and the company grew, the role became more and more payroll-based. Having very little payroll experience and with a lot of legislation surrounding payroll, I wanted to ensure I had the necessary skills to be able to do the job correctly with confidence. So, I looked into courses and enrolled for the CIPP’s Foundation Degree in Payroll Management . Why did you choose to study the Foundation Degree? I did a couple of day courses which covered basic payroll, but the CIPP Foundation Degree covered more areas in more detail. It made you look deeper into payroll and made me realise that it’s not just about numbers. Payroll is a really fulfilling job role and has many challenges. I feel this degree has given me the knowledge to cope with these challenges with ease. How important is this degree in relation to your career? This degree has given me the knowledge and confidence to progress within my role. With society as it is and many redundancies happening I feel by having a solid degree behind me gives me a step up in the right direction to being successful.
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | September 2017 | Issue 33 18
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