O N L I N E L E A R N I N G
Personal Development
FOUNDATION DEGREE ACCESS COURSE
Diary of a student…
Marie HolmesMCIPPdip Processing manager, Keen Thinking Limited
This course is a bridge to year two of the CIPP Foundation Degrees in either payroll and
pensions, and specifically designed for those who have the experience, and would now like a formal qualification We have developed this online course to provide those who have completed one of our level three certifications, or who have two years experience and are confident with manual calculations.
Tell us a little about your background and life so far. I’m currently a processing manager for a recruitment finance company and oversee a team of eight. We manage the payroll and back office for 200+ agencies, and deal with all employment types, processing in the region of 4,000 payments each week. What can you tell us about your career and qualifications? I started my career as an administration apprentice and was soon tasked with processing the fortnightly payroll, so like many others in the payroll industry I accidently fell into it. This piqued my interest in payroll and led me to a job working for the NHS as a payroll administrator and the opportunity to complete a further apprentice qualification focussed this time on payroll. Two children later, my hunger to learn and develop returned which led me firstly to my local college where I completed a management and leadership qualification and then on to CIPP to complete the Foundation Degree in Payroll Management. Why did you choose to study the Foundation Degree? To progress and develop my career I felt an accredited qualification related to payroll would fulfil my need to learn as well as support my own continuing personal development. The CIPP is nationally recognised and the Institute for the industry, so was the perfect fit. How did you find the qualification? Balancing a very busy full-time job, parenting and study was no easy feat but the value I gained from the modules we studied and the achievement of gaining the qualification far outweighed the blood sweat and the occasional tears I experienced throughout the duration of the qualification. It’s definitely worth it, and now
after a break from study I’m considering starting the Masters qualification.
What advice would you give to others who are thinking about studying in order to improve their career? Just do it! It’s hard work and time- consuming but worth the final outcome of graduating and will open doors you didn’t know existed. The support of fellow students, the course leaders and tutors was fantastic; and, of course, still being a CIPP member means I have access to the Advisory Service and many payroll and legislation updates as and when required. I could not recommend CIPP or the qualification enough. How did you manage the work-life balance and your study? Do you have any tips for others in the same position? Planning and manging your time wisely is a must, and I would advise building a good strong support network with the other students. I learnt so much through discussion with the other students which strengthened my knowledge and the content of my assignments. I’ve also made some friends for life. What would you say is the most important thing you learnt? Hard work pays off, and that planning and time management is critical. What did you gain from this qualification – both in terms of skills and also career progression? So much; the qualification solidified my payroll knowledge and enhanced my written and verbal communication skills. Not only did I gain a deeper understanding of payroll, develop management skills of myself and others, but I also achieved a promotion to payroll manager and then a little later another to processing manager. n
If this sounds like you or a member of your team, enrol today.
For more information or to enrol: Visit: www.cipp.org.uk/study Email enquiries@cipp.org.uk
Call: 0121 712 1023 Live chat with us
cipp.org.uk @CIPP_UK
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 65 | November 2020
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