Student testimonial: Finding career success in project management
Meet Marloes, a certified project and change manager. After struggling with employment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to get certified, to better her chances for employment. Since completing her certifications, she has now found career success working as an Operations Manager.
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I studied the PRINCE2® Foundation & Practitioner, Change Management Foundation & Practitioner, Six Sigma Yellow Belt & I have PRINCE2® Agile still on the shelf, waiting to be started.
I work as an Operations Manager for the UK & EU region with a company that provides temperature-controlled solutions for pharmaceutical products.
Why were you looking to learn a new skill or develop an existing skill prior to enrolling with Learning People?
I had resigned from a job of 7 years because there was no room for growth there anymore for me. However, I did this just before the first wave of Covid put us into lockdown and I struggled to find a job for a good 8 months. I decided to use my time off to obtain some qualifications that could help me land my dream job when the job market started flourishing again.
How did you find your career consultation phone call with Learning People?
The consultant I spoke to was very knowledgeable, very easy to talk to, and gave some good advice on suitable courses. I might have signed up for a few more courses than I had originally planned, but that just means he was very good at his job! When I later discovered that one of the courses I had signed up for didn’t suit me at all, Learning People were helpful in finding me another option, and I even ended up signing up for an additional course!
What led you to choose the course with Learning People? Did you look at any other types of training?
I had looked at various options and was tempted to go with the cheapest one. Don’t we all? But after speaking to Learning People and hearing about the certificates and registrations with official bodies, I understood it would be better for me to invest in these courses and get it right the first time.
How did you find the online training?
I enjoyed the format. It was really helpful to be able to see how far done with the course I was and how much was still left to do.
What has been the best part of the Learning People experience?
Getting the exam results after passing and being able to upload my credentials to LinkedIn and share this with my network was a great feeling. However, eventually hearing from my new employer that some of the courses I did are very useful to my new role and the company I now work for is what I did it for.
How did the Learning People Career Services team help you land your new role?
I had a few chats with a lovely member of the Career Services team, and she was so interested in helping me land a great job. I felt like I had a cheerleader! I was given some really useful tips on improving my CV, on using LinkedIn and whenever I had a job I was interested in or when I had a job interview, she was always around to help me if I needed anything.
What advice would you give someone thinking about starting an online course?
Find out what courses you are thinking of doing, speak to a consultant and let them inform you. Then take some time to think about what courses to sign up to, and go for it. It is not time lost or money lost; it is valuable knowledge and credentials gained that can really help you stand out from other applicants, or that can help you progress in your current career.
Inspired by Marloes’ story and ready to take the first step towards a new career? Talk to us today. Our expert career consultants are here to offer help and support at every step of your tech career journey.