We love to help our students realise their dreams and our students are transforming their lives through education. They are learning new skills, achieving objectives, and impacting the world.

Their stories are unique. That’s why we work closely with our students to understand their particular interests, needs, and aspirations. One of these students is Sarah West, who passed her Managing and People level 7 LMP exam with distinction!

Here is our interview with Sarah:

1. What kind of business do you work for and what do you do?

I am a HR Manager for XPO Logistics based in Neasden. The Neasden site has a 30 year relationship with the retailer Marks and Spencer, employing (at the time of writing) 388 employees and up to a further 400 agency staff (during peak operational times).

2. Where are you headed as a professional?

I am hoping to gain chartered membership by the end of the year. I particularly enjoyed the ELW and ODD modules so would like to look into OD in the future and potentially specialise in that area.

3. What challenges were you facing and what motivated you to solve them?

I changed jobs just after completing my 4th (non-core) module. Learning a new role in a challenging environment as well as studying for the core modules was challenging. The friendships I developed with my class mates and the support I received from my company were fantastic. Ultimately my motivation was to gain more experience in a profession I have grown to really love!

4. Why did you choose us over the competition?

I completed my Intermediate Level Diploma in HR Management with Acacia Learning and liked the blended learning format. I was impressed by the calibre of tutors and the range of industry experience they had.

5. Which course did you do with us, and how did you find that process?

I have completed 6 modules of the advanced level (7) diploma in HR Management. It has been a long but very rewarding process so far.

6. How have you benefited from using our service?

I believe my HR theoretical knowledge and writing style for reports and business proposals has improved so much since I began the course.

7. How has studying with Acacia Learning improved your day-to-day life?

I believe that the course has improved my networking opportunities and enabled me to make connections with HR professionals from different sectors and industries which has been invaluable, particularly when I was in a standalone role. Having the opportunity to discuss challenges at work with my classmates meant that I am now quicker to recognise ways to resolves issues.

8. What have you learned from working with us?

I have learned a lot, studying at level 7. I particularly enjoyed attending an employment tribunal for the ELW course.

9. What would you say to other students facing the same challenges as you did?

I would advise that studying for any course over a considerable period is a marathon not a sprint. Having overlapped 2 modules at level 5 (and feeling the strain) I knew this time to pace myself so I wouldn’t feel as much pressure. Although I have also said that changing roles whilst studying was challenging, I do feel it was the right time for me and has added a wealth of experience to my career.

If you’d like to follow in her footsteps, you can discover the HR professional in you by enrolling on a course today! Click here to enroll or here to learn more about our courses.