CIPD Student Stories: Lyndsey Hopwood

As an HR Professional with years of experience, Lynsey was keen to develop her career further by studying the Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management. 

My name is Lyndsey Hopwood and I work as a HR Specialist for a Fire and Rescue Service, which is essentially a hybrid of both a HR Business Partner and HR Advisor. Previously, I've also worked in HR for a Police Force, which was similarly a very varied and fast paced environment.

I studied a joint honours degree in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Sociology at Bangor University, before embarking on an IRRV Technician qualification whilst working for the Valuation Tribunal for Wales.

During my time there I gained some experience in a variety of HR matters and that was when my passion for HR started to develop! I joined the Police as a HR administrator, and began a distance learning Post Graduate Degree in HR Management.

I also undertook my CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma through the local college, and must admit working through the pandemic, whilst studying and caring for 2 young children (one of which was only a few months old) was really difficult, but made the reward even better.

Despite gaining these qualifications, when I applied for my current role, I suffered with imposter syndrome, and constantly questioned whether my current knowledge was enough for me to be successful in the role.

Although it was now almost three years later, I still felt that I had more to learn and so looked to undertake a CIPD Level 7 Qualification in Strategic People Management. I did a lot of market research, as I needed something that would fit in with my busy work and home life, but also was a platform where I would get support if I needed it, which led me to DPG.

The enrolment was really straightforward, and the customer service team were extremely helpful, never making me feel like I was bothering them with a million questions.

The platform is really user friendly, and accessible through my laptop, phone and tablet, which is particularly handy!

There's a comprehensive introduction programme that shows you where to find everything and how to progress through the course, as well as live webinars that I can take part in for the full immersive experience. 

I'm currently halfway through my first module and finding the learning materials really easy to follow, not too heavy with plenty of relevant links to other sources of information.

If you are considering an online course, I would definitely look at DPG, they make the entire (sometimes very overwhelming) process easier, and support you every step of the way.

There are realistic deadlines that are made very clear, and there is a dedicated tutor to each module, with links to videos guiding you on how to complete assessments, it couldn’t be simpler!

I'm hopeful that completing this course will give me further knowledge and skills to progress in my career, enhancing my profile as a qualified HR Professional for many years to come.

Feel up to the challenge of developing your career? Enrol on a professional CIPD qualification today.