CIPD Learner Stories: Ellen Stott

Ellen decided to enrol on CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma, following her decision for a career change. 

I am the People and Culture manager for Change Mental Health, which is a mental health charity in Scotland and I'm currently studying the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management through online learning since 2022. I opted to do the course for my own personal development as I had decided to change careers from being in operations roles to moving into people roles.

I want to develop into a senior people position, so I thought studying for the advanced diploma would help me with that.

For me the course underpins a lot of the work I was doing, allowing me to understand the theory behind a lot of my role and helping me develop a more strategic approach to people management.

I chose to study with DPG because they seemed to be offering a really good offer on the course.

I also opted to study online because it meant I could manage the course and the units around my other commitments.

I had a difficult year in 2023 but studying remotely has meant that I did not have to miss any classes or deadlines, and I’ve been able to catch up on the period of time I was unable to study.

At first it took a bit of getting used to studying in a fully remote environment, but the tools that DPG provide, like the study planner really helped me. I would plan out when I want to submit coursework and then schedule in study weekends to make sure I could get things in.

The beauty of remote studying is that I could rework the plan when things came up or other commitments took over, which I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was studying in person.

The only challenging thing is that the onus to study and submit coursework is self-driven so can be difficult when life gets busy.

The course is really interesting, some of the units were areas I had a lot of experience in, whereas others I knew very little about before studying.

For me, the course has really developed how I think about the bigger picture of people development, and I think the qualification will help me develop into more senior roles, alongside the experience I’m gaining on the job.

The course tutors were really helpful. At times when I didn’t understand the assignment or feedback given, I would arrange a call and someone would explain in more detail what was needed. Studying remotely can feel challenging at times, so you just need to be willing to reach out for support and request calls.

I’m glad I will soon have the CIPD qualification, and for me I think it has been a great investment in my future career.

Enrol on a CIPD qualification with DPG today and kickstart your own successful HR career.