PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Diary of a student…
time and enjoyed mountain biking at the weekends. Though I didn’t really have time to write during work hours, I did use my lunchtime to do research and find links to documents that would help me with my modules. I used a full day at weekends to focus on the module. There were tears and tantrums, but after I’d calmed down and refocused, I was off typing away and enjoying what I was finding out during my research. My tips would be once you know what your module is about, draft notes on what you want to write about, plan when you are going to work on your module and stick to it as the submission date creeps up on you. Discuss the area with your HR or finance department to get their perspectives on weaknesses and strengths. What would you say is themost important thing you learnt? A personal lesson was how to report write. I have never had to write a report in my career, so it was very challenging to set it out with enough words and research. My confidence grew, and now I enjoy report writing for our clients. What did you gain from this qualification – both in terms of skills and also career progression? The qualification gave me the understanding I needed. Sometimes I felt managers didn’t take me seriously, so when qualified I gained confidence in my knowledge – and I think that made managers believe in me more. There were two strong candidates for the role that I had applied for with the accountancy practice, but fortunately they offered me the position. I asked why they had decided to go with me, and they replied that I had strong knowledge of payroll and that I was CIPP-qualified. They had areas of weakness within their payroll team and wanted someone who was strong and had the knowledge to be able to bring in processes to strengthen the department. n
Helen Campbell FMAATMCIPPdip Outsourcing supervisor, Max Accountants Limited
Tell us a little about your background and life so far. I’m 44 years old, and live in Rutland with my husband, a year-old cat, and Loui a three- year-old Labrador who is very active and loves long walks. We love camping. What can you tell us about your career and qualifications? After leaving school at 17 I went in search of a job. I couldn’t get a job because I didn’t have any experience, and I couldn’t gain any experience because I couldn’t get a job. So, I joined the youth training scheme which encouraged employers to help school leavers get work experience. I worked for a local newspaper in the accounts department working 37.5 hours a week for £30.00. After four years in sales for a family-run novelty gift manufacturer, I returned to finance for a family-run chain of hotels, which is where I fell into payroll processing nine in-house payrolls and nine sales ledger accounts. After nine years I was made redundant as they relocated to London. My next employment was with an independent school. I was deputy head of finance and payroll manager processing an educational payroll for 500 employees, teachers, term-time staff and 52-week staff. After twelve years I moved to be an outsourcing manager for an accountancy firm overseeing seven members of staff including two payroll staff who run payroll for 46 clients. Why did you choose to study the Foundation Degree? When I joined the hotels, I was responsible
for all the payrolls but had never processed a payroll before and the only thing I knew was that you got a monthly payslip and money in your bank. I started a payroll course to enable me to understand how the calculations worked and the legislation requirements. We didn’t have a human resources (HR) department, so I did that as well. After moving to the school, I wanted to become qualified in payroll to show that I had strong knowledge and understanding to give myself more confidence. Howdid you find the qualification? Ask Jeeves! It’s amazing what you can find out. I was amazed I had not come across the CIPP before. What advice would you give to others who are thinking about studying in order to improve their career? To be able to say that you are qualified in payroll is something to be very proud of. The legislation that payroll must follow these days is huge, so this course will help you gain confidence in your payroll role. The course made me more aware of processes that the company should have in place. Take the leap, do the qualification; it’s hard work, but when you qualify it is the best feeling. Howdid youmanage the work-life balance and your study? Do you have any tips for others in the same position? I don’t have children but worked full-
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | October 2020 | Issue 64 22
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