14 July 2011 | James Arch
Combining current employment with study can be a challenge, but it can give assignments a real boost
At Capgemini, I work for the aspire business unit, which delivers IT services for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). I negotiate commercial and contractual terms for professional services delivered to HMRC, to ensure value-for-money deals are concluded with vendors ranging from small enterprises to multinationals. My 10-year experience spans procurement operations and management across different categories, such as hardware, software licensing and telecoms.
Capgemini encourages employees to continually develop themselves through internal and external training in addition to professional studies. As a procurement professional, the CIPS Level 4 Foundation Diploma was perfect for me to learn purchasing and supply methodologies and techniques and put them into action in my role.
I studied my Foundation Diploma over nine months with Pennwood, a CIPS Centre of Excellence. I studied five modules in this diploma. There were five work-based assignments and evening tutorials each week, which worked well for me because it didn’t impose on my day job and gave me flexibility to structure and complete assignments in a reasonable timeframe.
I was delighted to discover that I had obtained the highest aggregate score for my assignments –
I didn’t actually know there was a prize for this.
My tips for other students are:
1. Plan your time carefully
The assignments have to be completed to the deadlines you are given. As soon as I got an assignment, I carefully worked out and set myself mini deadlines for each task. I tried to have the whole thing completed with a week to spare to allow for any contingencies. This “breathing space” also gave me time to proofread my work and ensure it was the best I could do. I completed tasks in the order we had discussed them at tutorials, but always had an outline to hand to jot down ideas for later tasks as they occurred to me.
2. Give yourself breaks
When I was working on assignments at home, I would take breaks at regular intervals, perhaps every 500 words I completed or after I’d finished writing a certain example or model. I would go off and have a drink and reflect on what I’d written.
When I came back I’d re-read it and add any additional thoughts that had occurred to me during the break or make other amendments. This meant I gave each part my full and concentrated attention. I think if I had just worked continuously for several hours, the latter parts of my work would have been weaker.
3. Take note of tutor feedback and adjust accordingly
Students are allowed one dose of feedback per task. In their feedback, tutors give high-level pointers and steers, so it is up to the student to interpret these and improve their work in line with what they have been told. Students should consider whether the tutor is suggesting they include more theory, more practical examples or perhaps adjust the structure of their work. They should act on suggestions for improvements in order to get better marks.
4. Relate to practical experience as much as possible
I was fortunate because I had 10 years of work experience to draw on, which I believe really helped to bring my assignments alive. To me it was almost like writing the story of what I’d done. All practitioners will have some examples from their working life. I would often spend about 30 minutes at the end of my day, writing down elements from that day’s work that I felt I could incorporate into my assignments.
I recommend this type of diary-keeping because it is sometimes very easy to forget or overlook
the importance of everyday work as just something we do, but it can really improve your assignments. Useful material can also come from anecdotes from your colleagues and from listening carefully to the experiences of your fellow students during tutorials.
3 key points
1. Good time planning is essential to ensure you can complete and check your assignments
2. Make the most of tutor feedback
3. Draw on your practical experience to enhance your assignments
☛ James Arch Is a procurement manager at Capgemini UK and was awarded the CIPS Foundation Diploma Award for 2009/2010
