Human Resources Student Stories:
CIPD Student Stories: Hayley Reaper | CIPD Level 5 Diploma

Five years post qualification, Hayley is now working as a People Lead, having started as an Office Manager with HR duties.

After leaving college and a few roles later, I was working as an office manager with aspects of HR. I quickly realised my passion was for the people profession! I wanted to help people grow and develop and bridge that gap between employer and employee, ensuring people were supported and them and the business were thriving together. I’ve currently been in the HR/people profession for around 7 years.

I knew I needed a qualification to help me learn the fundamentals alongside gaining some hands-on experience. I therefore completed the ICS Learn CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management in 2020.

ICS Learn seemed like a brilliant fit as the course was 100% online and offered the flexibility I needed to learn from home at a pace that suited me.

I was working whilst completing my qualification and had a young son at home, so flexibility was also a huge bonus for that aspect.

The course offered a learning community of students to support each other, meaning even though the course itself was online I never felt on my own, never unsupported, especially with the guidance and feedback the tutors also gave.

My main goal was to become a fully-fledged member of the people team with my employer at the time. They very much supported my studying, and I was officially moved from my office manager role into a people & culture role which gave me so much experience into the world of people, onboarding, recruiting, performance etc - I loved it!

I’ve also been very lucky that I didn’t encounter any specific challenges.

I’ve since held purely people roles and progressed within the people profession from People Partner to People Lead, the role I’m in now. This role is my career highlight - taking that step up with my own team and responsibilities on a wider strategic level to continue developing my learning.

ICS Learn provides the tools, flexibility, support and feedback which are all effective!

I enjoyed the way the course was structured, studying each section first and then completing the assessment meant the knowledge was still fresh in my mind. It made learning feel clear and manageable, and helped me really understand each topic before moving forward.

The tutor support was also great!

The tutors were knowledgeable, approachable, and helpful in ensuring I understood the material. Their feedback and encouragement made a real difference in my learning journey.

I was fortunate that my employer at the time supported my studies and gave me time during work hours to focus on learning. That made a huge difference. I also made it a priority to set aside time at home, which helped me stay organised and steadily move through each stage of the course.

My experience has been transformative. It has boosted my confidence, expanded my career possibilities, and encouraged me to approach challenges with curiosity and resilience.

I’ve developed valuable skills that I now use daily, and it’s also helped me grow on a personal level, both in mindset and motivation.

I’ve been able to put what I learned into practice through handling real ER cases at work. Having a solid understanding of best practice and relevant case law has allowed me to approach situations more confidently and ensure the right processes are followed.

It’s been rewarding to see how the knowledge from the course translates so effectively into day-to-day work.

The value of continuous learning and adaptability. I learned that growth doesn’t stop once you master something, there’s always a new skill or perspective to develop, and that’s what keeps you moving forward. Plus how much you can grow when you learn alongside others.

Collaborating, sharing ideas, and supporting each other made the learning experience not only more enjoyable but also more impactful.

The ICS Learn course has had such a positive impact on my career, I honestly believe it’s accelerated it and given me more opportunities to progress. Of course, I have worked hard but believe it was a great catalyst for me, especially when starting out. I would highly recommend it for anyone that is considering taking the leap - you won’t regret it!

If you’re considering enrolling on a course with ICS Learn, I’d say go for it!

Choose a course that best suits you (there are various to choose from).

ICS Learn provides the tools, flexibility, support and feedback for you to gain recognised industry qualifications which can open doors to various roles.

Since completing my course, I hope to experience many happy years of learning and development in the people profession!

If I could describe my experience in three words, they would be collaborative, exciting and encouraging.

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