1. Why did you decide to choose this qualification?

When I was first made aware of the Operations Departmental Manager Level 5, one of the first documents I was sent was the delivery plan. From looking at the units the course would cover, there were areas I didn’t know a lot about and wanted to expand my knowledge in, such as, project management, understanding leadership styles and working with budgets. There were also units I felt comfortable with, that I felt knowledgeable on from my job role. I chose the qualification as I felt it would help me develop and progress within Close Brothers, by taking on both on and off the job training.

2. What were your goals/expectations before you started this qualification?

Before starting the qualification I discussed my goals with my line manager so he was aware of what I was working towards, and how I was hoping to do this. One of my main goals was to shadow various teams within Close Brothers so I could see how they work and the skills they used, by doing this I was able to learn new skills and discuss these in both my skills and knowledge units for the course, I expected the course to be more classroom based and it was more informal than initially thought, this meant it gave me the choice to work on and submit my work as and when I had free time within my job role and was still able to discuss my work with my tutor, when required.

3. what did you learn during this qualification and what did you find the most enjoyable?

During the qualification I improved my skills on prioritisng my workload, as I didn’t want to fall behind on my workload, nor did I want it to take up too much time and stop me from performing to a high standard within my job role,
As the qualification progressed I began gaining confidence within the work I submitted, as I was receiving regular feedback from both my tutor, and line manager.

I found the off the job learning (such as attending workshops and training sessions) the most enjoyable as it gave me the chance to meet and speak with new people and I believe it was from working on my diploma, that gave me the idea to attend these.

5. Next Steps – what are your future plans and what do you intend to do once you have completed the qualification?

Now I have finished my diploma, I will continue to put my new knowledge and skills in to practice in my job role. In February 2019 I was promoted to Project Manager (I believe certain units from the diploma gave me the confidence to go for the job role) so I am still learning new ways of working and collaborating with different teams within this new job role.