PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSIGHT
Nicola Stanton FCIPPdip Payroll manager, Game Retail UK Ltd Diary of a student…
I knew the dissertation would be a hard slog, six months with no break, so I kept to the countdown calendar. My final grade was a 2:1 and I am the first in my immediate family to attain a degree. They are so proud of me and I will treasure my time studying interesting and reflective modules. I learned more about myself than of payroll and management. How important is this degree in relation to your future career? Very. The BA has provided me with a skill set that I use now and in my future career. As an example, project management, finance, leadership and change management are all of the modules I passed and help every single day in my job. Also, my dissertation subject was about auto-enrolment and age diversity in the work force. Age diversity is a fascinating subject, especially as in my previous role my work colleague was over the age of retirement and now, in my new role, I’m one of the oldest. How do you cope with work- life balance and study? This is a tough one. I wanted to push myself for the best possible grades I could get for each assignment. I studied three evenings per week and six hours a day on weekends. I seemed to eat, sleep and dream about my assignment. I thought to myself that it is only for eighteen months, and almost put my life on hold. You hear all sorts of stories how people have got through the course; my own is just one. I kept to a strict deadline and celebrated each and every stage. I got a month off after each module before the next one started, which gave me family time. My grades gave me inspiration, knowing my hard work was paying off. n
Can you give us an insight into your career and qualifications background? I joined a bank straight from school in 1988 which provided me with essential organisational skills. After my two children I wanted a job that fitted around childcare and I joined Surrey County Council. I absolutely hated the first week but found myself there eight years later and promoted to a senior payroll officer. My team leader provided me with inspiration for my management style; she was professional, easy going and so knowledgeable and laughed in the face of crisis with her great sense of humour. I moved to a private company in 2005, which gave me further insight into payroll and aspirations. I knew that to further my career I had to gain a qualification. CIPP were my first choice as their Foundation Degree in Payroll Management was the benchmark. My first mark for my assignment was a grade C+ in my second year and my final mark was an A+ in my third year, a massive achievement for myself and something I thought I’d never top. The course not only provided me with management skills but also the confidence to argue my case and to influence decisions that I would once back off from. So, after a three-year break, I started the BA (Hons) Applied Business and Management as I wanted to stand out from the crowd. Only a few people achieve this degree each year and I wanted to prove to myself that I could achieve not only a Foundation degree but also a BA in payroll. I knew that
alongside my full-time job this would be difficult but achievable with the help of family and friends. After completion in 2016 I successfully applied for my current position; my qualification and gained confidence landed me the role. With module one completed, how do you think you did and was it what you expected? Module one was change management. I very much enjoyed this module and use the models l learned every time there is a change with my job. In my BA I used the same formula and format I used from my Foundation Degree. This served me well and my first mark was 83%, a first. I was over the moon and this definitely provided me with confidence in my ability to complete my degree. My family were very proud and this reinforced my choice in starting the course. How did you see the rest of the course working out and were you getting used to making it part of your routine? I had a one-month break after handing in my first assignment but I was absolutely looking forward to my second and raring to go. I created a ‘count down’ calendar and after each section celebrated with a glass of bubbly. We usually went on holiday after each module, and looked forward to this more than handing in my assignment. Happy memories with hard work. I made a very good friend on the course and we supported each other a lot; Karen Beckett passed her course also and was a fantastic student help for me.
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | April 2017 | Issue 29 10
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