Professional February 2017

Professional development insight

Kirsty Gilliburn MCIPPdip Payroll training specialist, The Co-op Diary of a student…

How do you cope with the work life balance and include your study? I was supported by both work and family, and I relied heavily on David, my fiancé, who picked up the majority of things at home to give me the chance to focus on my studies. Without that I don’t know how I would have managed. The Co-op were great at providing the right level of support throughout the three-year course. Having colleagues who either had been through the Foundation Degree or were studying at the same time as me meant I always had someone to turn to. That support helped me succeed. Which has been your favourite module throughout the course? My favourite module was ‘Leading the team’, as I enjoyed looking at team working and leading theories and seeing how I could apply these in my current role. It made me think about leading a team through change, as these are skills I will use as I progress throughout my career. For someone who is thinking about studying for a CIPP qualification what would your advice be to them? Do it. Without the course I definitely wouldn’t have gained all of the knowledge I have today and I don’t think I would have been able to progress as quickly as I did. It has given me the start I needed to build my own future. n

Can you give us an insight into your career and qualifications background?

Why did you choose to study the Foundation Degree? Starting with The Co-op was like starting again – it was a completely different environment and there was a lot to learn. I received a lot of training and support from colleagues and managers and it was great to be welcomed into such a great team. My manager discussed the Foundation Degree with me, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge I needed to progress. How important is this degree in relation to your future career? The degree has already helped me immensely in my career, aiding my progressions from payroll administrator to payroll specialist, followed by payroll technician and finally to today as payroll training specialist. Without the Foundation Degree course I wouldn’t have got as far as I have; I know that it is going to help me progress further throughout my career. It’s given the initial knowledge I needed to understand my job and the legislation required, and helped me to build on the management knowledge I had from working in retail and to apply that to my day to day role.

I never set out to work in payroll. Having studied history, art and

photography at A-level I always wanted to work in a creative field. I continued my creative studies at Manchester School of Art and gained a BA Hons in design and art direction. I enjoyed my course but preferred what I was doing as a hobby more than a career. Whilst at university I worked at French Connection and, on finishing my course, went to work there full-time, progressing from sales associate to supervisor helping to manage people and the business. It was here I got my first taste of payroll as I covered the store’s human resources (HR) and payroll administrator whilst she was on maternity leave. I stayed at French Connection for six years before moving to Links of London in Selfridges; retail was great but I still didn’t feel like I was making the most of my skills. I then found a role as an HR and payroll administrator with Forever 21, where I began to understand the beginning aspects of payroll and HR. Wanting to develop my skills and progress and concentrate solely on payroll, I applied to work for The Co-op in their payroll department.

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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |

Issue 27 | February 2017

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