CAREER DEVELOPMENT INSIGHT
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Diary of a student…
Lynsey Parkes MCIPPdip MAAT Senior finance officer, CK Associates Ltd
Services available: Payroll forensic audit Procurement Invitation to tender Supplier demos Project management
Can you give us a brief background into your life? I live in Derbyshire with my husband and daughter and I enjoy spending time with family and friends. We enjoy travelling and seeing new places. Can you give us an insight into your career and qualifications background? I have worked in admin, finance and payroll positions since leaving school. I’ve worked for CK Group (a recruitment agency) for nearly ten years, performing payroll for both internal and external employees. I’m responsible for ensuring they are paid correctly and on time, and that they receive the best service possible, so they use us again. I also handle sales invoicing and credit control so have a wide variety of tasks and deadlines which keeps me busy and my mind active and means each day is different. I have always enjoyed learning and initially wanted to focus on the accounts side of the business. When I joined the company, I decided it would be a good idea to further my payroll knowledge. Why did you choose to study the Foundation Degree? I wanted a qualification that supported my experience and would further my knowledge. I needed something that would fit around my other commitments and the flexibility of the course made this possible. Being both exam and assignment based gave me the best of both worlds. The knowledge and support from both lecturers and my tutor was first class; the fact I could contact my tutor out of working hours really made a difference. How important is this degree in relation to your career? The degree has helped me immensely.
Dealing with employee queries every day, this qualification has given me the confidence in knowing that the information I am giving is correct and up to date. Being able to keep on top of current changes and new legislation has meant that as a company we have been able to get ahead, plan and prepare for upcoming changes. How did you cope with the work-life balance and your study? I was supported by both work and my family. My daughter was studying for her GCSEs at the same time, so it meant we could support and encourage each other to study and work towards treats when we had completed set tasks. Did the fact the CIPP is Chartered or recognised within the industry influence your decision to enrol with the CIPP and were there any modules which were of interest prior to you enrolling? The fact CIPP is so widely recognised influenced my decision as I knew I was joining a body committed to its members. I was particularly interested in the ‘leading the team’ module as this is something I want to further develop in and pass on my knowledge to other members of the department. For someone who is thinking about studying for a CIPP qualification, what would your advice be to them? Go for it, but be prepared to commit time to researching the modules as it makes the assignments easier and will give you in- depth knowledge and understanding of the subject. It’s hard work and stressful at times but the graduation and friends you make along the way make it all worth it. n
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | October 2018 | Issue 44 10
*correct at time of publication
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