Human Resources Student Stories:
CIPD Student Stories: Joe Alford | CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate Review

Joe was made redundant from his job due to the pandemic, so he decided to study a a CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice to add another string to his bow. 

My most recent role was as a recruiter for a large law firm but I was made redundant in September due to Covid.  I started looking for jobs but I found that there was very little that matched my skillset.

I decided that I needed another string to my bow so I started looking for online courses I could take that would boost my job prospects. I decided that an HR qualification would complement my existing skills while opening up lots of new jobs.  

Having done lots of research on my options, I decided to take the CIPD level 3 in HR with ICS. I picked ICS due to their reputation and the positive reviews I read online.

It was a little daunting at first because I was concerned about how an online course would work and I hadn't done anything like this since leaving school 20 years ago. 

However, my mind was quickly put at rest. My tutor has been really helpful - she's always happy to answer any questions I have over email and she's available on the phone if I want to have a more detailed conversation.

She's given me lots of suggestions when I've been stuck and she's been very positive about the work I've done so far. I attended an online lesson that really helped me prepare for my assessment and gave me the opportunity to ask the tutor follow up questions.

I've also found the ability to chat about problems I’m having with my fellow students on the chat forums really useful.  

I would definitely recommend ICS. They have been very supportive and I'm really looking forward to completing the rest of the course. 

Inspired by Joe's story? Start a new career in HR today by studying an online professional qualification. Get your free CIPD course guide.