PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
# Be Payroll Paul Unwin MCIPP, customer care manager, LivePay , chats to us about why CIPP membership is so important to him, and how it’s helped throughout his career
Why did you choose to become a CIPP member? Having moved from working in the construction industry to the payroll industry, I felt that becoming a member of the CIPP was the best way to validate the payroll knowledge I had gained to others within the profession. As I don’t hold any formal payroll qualifications, it was also to allow a professional body to help develop my skill set. The ability to show this to other professionals proves my commitment to the industry and the knowledge I hold. How has your membership helped in your career? It has enabled me to progress within the company I work for and to lead a team of other employees who are all working towards the CIPP Foundation Degree. What membership benefits have you used or enjoyed the most, and can you provide examples? I have made use of the Advisory Service for assistance with queries and find this an invaluable resource when a customer asks a curveball of a question. The newsletters and magazine are also useful for keeping everyone at our office up to date with any changes. Can you describe your payroll journey to us so far? My payroll journey started on my placement year while at university, working in a small accountant practice, where we would process the payroll for several small local businesses. Upon graduating, I worked for a construction company as a business development manager; however, part of my role was
to assist the finance director, to process the weekly payroll for the staff. Just before the pandemic, this company closed, and I was made redundant. After a short, enforced career break (and the birth of my daughter) I was asked by LivePay, the company I work for now, if I could come and help them with the production of furlough reports for their customers in a temporary capacity. I started in this ‘temporary position’ in June 2020. By September 2020, I had been made a permanent member of staff and by May 2021, promoted to their customer care manager. What are your hopes for your future career? To continue to progress within the industry and gain the knowledge and skills required to upgrade my membership with the CIPP to the next tiers.
Do you have any plans to study any CIPP qualifications or training courses?
At present, I’m not looking to undertake any further training or qualifications but this may change in the future when my daughter is a little older and I have more spare time. What advice would you give to those new to the payroll profession, just starting out in their careers? Stick with it – the initial period will be hard, getting to grips with all the calculations, terminology and legislation, but once you get into it you’ll find a rewarding profession with the ability to move into any industry, anywhere around the globe.
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | March 2023 | Issue 88 12
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