• Publish Date: Posted over 5 years ago
• Author:by Joanne Mellor

Learning in your 30's!

​Learning in your 30’s, if I can do it, anyone can!This week I have achieved something that 10 years ago I wouldn't have even thought possible, let alone considered.I have finally submitted my last assignment for my CIPD Level 3 Diploma in HR Practice.It has been an intense 10 months but I have come to realise you can work full time and study successfully.A little bit of background, I have never been academic, I was never getting prizes in school for my scholarly achievements, I always managed to just get by.My issue was the subject matter! I just didn't enjoy what I was learning about, as most 16 year olds can agree with, I just didn't see how understanding the infamous Pythagoras theorem or being able to tell how many pronouns appear in a paragraph was going to help me achieve in the real world.However last year I was presented with the opportunity to study something...something I actually wanted to learn more about. HR! Prior to beginning the course, I figured HR was a healthy mixture of wiping tears and telling people off, I can handle that I thought!Never have I been more wrong in my life. I learned the value of what a well-integrated HR system looks like, it’s vital to the support of the business, as most businesses wouldn't function without well motivated staff. Core Talent funded my course and gave me time of for study, seeing the value the qualification would bring to the business and to me.I learned that there are so many spokes to the HR wheel, it can be wildly overwhelming (as I found out in workshop 1).There are specialists in recruitment and retention, law, and a thousand other things and also generalists that cover a bit of everything. Anyway back to the subject at hand, along with the amazing opportunity available to me, came a massive sense of self-doubt.How was I, Jo, the office manager (at the time) of a successful and growing recruitment company, Jo the person just starting the process of buying a house, Jo the friend, Jo the daughter, Jo the  Auntie!How was she going to find the time to dedicate herself in all the various guises to a Diploma in HR?It’s a really simple answer, I made time. I realised I would have to just adapt, it’s like starting a new workout routine or diet. I made time for the study, I made sure I put it on par with everything else that was important to me at the time.In the 10 months it has taken me to get through the assignments, the workshops and the hours of study, I have also managed to buy a house (I’m hoping for the keys in the next few weeks), I have earned a promotion to Operations Manager and I have still managed to be all the things I was before.  I just get to add qualified HR professional to the list now, and couldn’t be happier. Even better Core Talent have funded my course as the business will also benefit from my qualification.If you want to find out what you could achieve in a challenging and supportive workplace we are always looking for the best recruitment consultants in the industry. Drop your CV and cover letter over to workforus@coretalent.co.uk