Human Resources
14 October 2020 - 1 min read
Natali decided to change careers after working in hospitality for a decade. She studied a CIPD Level 5 Diploma in Human Resource Management and kickstarted her career in HR. Find out more about how she got on, here.
My name is Natali Lyubenova, and recently successfully completed my study of CIPD level 5 Intermediate Diploma in Human Resource Management with ICS Learn.
My story is a bit unusual compared to the rest of the students who decided to undertake the challenge to complete this course. For the last 10 years I have worked as Pastry Chef/Manager up to a Head Pastry/Manager of department, I have never worked in the HR field prior to my study.
I started to lose my passion for Hospitality and started thinking about if the treatment I was receiving was fair as an employee, and that is how I became more interested in the field – I wanted to know my rights and obligation.
Later on, my curiosity started answering my question about what I rather do as a profession. I fell in love with HR, because I truly stand for all beliefs and laws and practice.
I wanted to know more, so I started my research on how you can become a Human Resource Professional, including asking the HR Administrator in the previous workplace what are the best steps.
The advice was to make sure my knowledge is good, and I started looking for courses, what are the best providers, one of the important parts for me where to be online in my own time, because I was working full time and couldn’t afford to not.
The second part was affordability, ICS learn was the best provider on the market online based and the price of the course has an option of instalments payments which is less than my car insurance. It was perfect!
I made an enquiry on which a lovely lady called Eva responded with all the possible information about it, she was so inspiring and proud of the course which made me feel as part of a family.
The very same day I had a phone conversation with her I enrolled for the course, and started pretty soon later. I decided to start my studying while still working as a Pastry Chef full time at the time.
It was scary but I took an adventure at the age of 27 to start studying again and change profession. At first I found it challenging and through the whole course, but every pass on assignment gave me a lovely encouraging feeling for the next one.
The tutor support I had through the course was from 3 tutors for the different units. They all were amazingly supportive and always there where you need them.
One of the tutors which I had for most of my units is Keith Watson, he was fantastic and I would say without the way he answered all my enquiries, the speed of his marking and the feedback I was receiving, I probably would be studying for a longer time.
The tutor support was fantastic which is very rare when you are studying with an online provider. As a result of the way the course changed me in March 2020 I left my previous workplace because I refused to be unfairly treated.
I even brought up the issue with ACAS and later on with the Employment Tribunal.
Unfortunately 3 days after I left my workplace we went into lockdown because of the Coronavirus pandemic, and I was unable to find a new job for obvious reasons. The lockdown definitely helped me to concentrate myself in studying and less or more kept my mental health because was keeping me busy and connected with others.
I managed to complete my study on the 10.07.2020 over 6 and a half months, and at the moment I am actively looking for my first job as a Human Resource Professional.
I recommend ICS Learn as great course provider with amazing tutoring support, which helped me educate myself, and be proud of my knowledge and of the fact I am now complete part of CIPD.
I met great tutors and co-students through my study which definitely helped me enormously through lockdown.
Inspired by Natali's story? Get your free CIPD course guide here and kickstart your new career today.