Human Resources
09 February 2022 - 1 min read
Maria used being furloughed to her advantage by studying a CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management.
After being placed on furlough in March 2020 I wanted to use my time off wisely, with a toddler at home I needed something flexible! I have always been in restaurant management and HR has always been part of the job and every day life. I enjoyed that side of my job so much.
With restaurants to be shut for the foreseeable in a pandemic, I decided to take the plunge and study!
It's something I have not done since high school as I fell into restaurant work at 16 with the expected completion time of between 9-12 months I thought it would keep me busy for a while and I came out of lockdown with a whole new qualification alongside the perfected banana bread recipe!
I signed up to ICS Learn and had heard great reviews, I ordered a couple of books and got stuck in!
A week into the course and module one was done, with quick responses and super helpful tutors at the other end of an email the support was there throughout.
And the best bit was there was no pressure so I could fit it in around me and my child!
Little did I know that 3 months later I had completed the whole diploma and passed! I was shocked that I sailed through after being super nervous if Level 5 would be the right one for me. I was enjoying the course and I started to get my CV out there.
Employers were impressed I was studying and paying for the course during furlough and I started to get approached by companies half way through my course.
I saw a job come up in my area and I put my CV across.
Two days before I passed my diploma I was offered a position as an HR Manager for a retail business based in East Anglia and Essex with 65 employees.
It's six months later in the job and its the best move I made, I have full ownership over HR for the business being able to implement exciting changes to help the business and its people grow together. I would 100% recommend ICS and the tutors for me really made something online personable!
Develop your HR with a professional qualification that you can complete entirely from home. Download your free CIPD course guide today.