PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Diary of a student…
What advice would you give to others who are thinking about studying in order to improve their career? It is a big commitment which you must research and consider beforehand. Even if you think “this is going to be tough and I will miss lots of family time”, don’t put it off for another year or convince yourself you can’t manage it. I say, go for it! You will surprise yourself how resourceful and resilient it makes you – and the immense satisfaction you get passing the modules and progressing makes it all worthwhile. The hard work is definitely worth it. How did you manage the work- life balance and your study? Do you have any tips for others in the same position? Although it was often challenging fitting in studies with a young family and a full-time role where I travelled extensively, I am glad I did it. My two boys are proud of their mum and I believe it sets them a wonderful example and an invaluable life lesson. Set a study timetable and try to stick to it; but be realistic and prioritise your workload and try not to be too hard on yourself if you slip a little, as you will make up the time. What would you say is the most important thing you learnt? I learned that continuous professional development keeps you ahead of the competition and gives you strategic perspective. It is key to maintaining and developing your skills and knowledge regularly. What did you gain from this qualification – both in terms of skills and also career progression? My qualification brought credibility, so customers and colleagues are reassured they are in good hands. Prospective employers look for the CIPP Foundation Degree as it is the industry standard, and this has helped me progress. n
JoHill MCIPPdip, Implementation Consultant, Ceridian
Tell us a little about your background and life so far I live in Buckinghamshire with my husband and our two teenage boys. After leaving school at 16, I joined a youth training scheme, attending college for two years and gaining invaluable work experience in office environments. I had my first induction into payroll during those early years, helping the company accountant with the monthly staff payroll. It was around this time a woman came in from Sage to provide training – and I thought I’d like a job like that. I went on to work for Oxford University making the most of their in-house software and network courses, and gradually became more confident. A few years later I wrote some speculative letters to local software providers and amazingly was offered a role providing support to customers using a ‘pay-and-bill’ payroll system specific to the recruitment industry. As I had limited payroll knowledge, I received training (e.g. processing payroll calculations manually) – and was hooked. I still enjoy performing manual payroll calculations whenever the opportunity presents. What can you tell us about your career and qualifications? I have been fortunate to work for some great employers and customers across various industries, on projects for small start-ups to large, global organisations. Throughout I have worked in support, training, implementations, consulting services, and in operational payroll management roles. It was important to understand accountancy terms and requirements so to bolster my knowledge I completed bookkeeping qualifications which increased my confidence and meant I could hold my own in conversations with customers.
The studying gave me a taste for professional development and a few
years later whilst in an operational payroll management role I built a business case to complete year one of the CIPP Foundation Degree in Payroll Management. In my role with Ceridian, I work with customers in the UK and Ireland, and across the globe in professional services and implementation, capturing and configuring their payroll requirements. Why did you choose to study the Foundation Degree? I was aware of the CIPP and how it represents and raises the profile of our profession, so for me there was never a doubt of which course to apply for. It was important to me to ensure I really understood payroll’s depth and breadth – and the CIPP Foundation Degree gave me that.
Howdid you find the qualification?
Although I had sound payroll skills, there was so much detail I didn’t know. I completed year one in 2009 but on reverting to being self-employed I put years two and three on hold, finally completing my degree in 2015. I met some great people, from the CIPP, students, and associated bodies, and enjoyed learning about areas of payroll I thought I knew well and those I hadn’t really experienced. It taught me so many skills which have enhanced my professional career. The Foundation Degree gave me both an operational and strategic view and I now approach challenges differently, taking a lateral view to the function and its role within an operation, whilst considering all the factors. This has added another dimension to my project work.
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | May 2021 | Issue 70 16
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker