Human Resources Student Stories:
CIPD Student Stories: Rachel Hughes | CIPD Level 3 Certificate

Rachel was able to land a role in HR within months of studying the Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice.

I currently work as a senior HR Adviser, and my previous experience is in retail. I worked as a store manager in multiple locations for over 12 years.

As a manager, I dealt with HR issues, and this is where my interest lay. I then started to do some research on CIPD qualifications and companies that offered them.

I originally studied in college for one afternoon a week, but I felt I wasn’t learning anything, so I opted to self fund and complete my CIPD level 3 with ICS Learn.

My main goal in studying with ICS Learn was to further develop my HR career. I’d been applying for HR jobs due to the amount of experience I had as a manager, but everyone wanted the CIPD, so it was tough.

I hoped that by completing my CIPD I would gain a HR role – which I did, a couple of months in. I was successful in a HR adviser role, that I wouldn’t have got without studying for my CIPD.

I chose ICS Learn because of its flexible online platform and the freedom to complete modules in any order, without a fixed deadline.

The online videos were beneficial, and I found that having each question broken down, really helped.

The online learning tools were easy to follow, you do them at your own pace. I reached out to my tutor a couple of times if I had a query with a question (they’re not always worded great) so getting the support from the tutor really helped me understand exactly what was needed to pass.

As there were no set deadlines for each module, just the course overall. I found that I could manage my time much easier. If I finished work early for example, I could log on for a couple of hours to study. It’s fully flexible and I could work it around my own schedule.

As soon as I gained my qualification, I was promoted to a senior HR adviser.

I was already doing the role but due to not having my CIPD I couldn’t have the title, which shows how important it is in our role. I’ve applied what I’ve learned in real situations such as managing complex investigations and advising managers on fair and compliant processes.

I’ve learnt that continuous learning and self development are essential for growth. The course taught me to see challenges as opportunities, and I have continued to do so in my professional career. I would recommend ICS Learn to anyone thinking of studying a CIPD qualification.

The website is easy to use; the course is well structured and relevant. The support from tutors is invaluable.

You work at your own pace, what you make of the opportunity, is fully in your hands. Now I’ve completed the course and gained my level 3, I’m looking into completing my level 5 so I can be a HR manager.

My experience with ICS Learn has been empowering, transformative and convenient. Completing my CIPD was the turning point in my career and it’s what helped get me out of retail and into the HR space. It’s given me the tools and confidence to succeed in HR, and it’ll help me continue to build a career in people management.

Overall, the CIPD has been key to my professional growth and effectiveness as a HR practitioner, and I couldn’t have done it without ICS Learn.

We make getting CIPD-qualified simple, flexible and affordable. Enrol on a 100% online CIPD qualification with ICS Learn today.