Geeta Verma | Project Management Student Testimonial

Tell us why you enquired with Learning People

I was in the third year of a career break due to being a caregiver for my father. Prior to caregiving, I worked in the retail sector managing operations and carrying out various projects.

And when it was time for me to get back into work, I saw it as an opportunity, and thought, what do I want to do?

The work I’d done previously in project management was something that appealed to me because it was so varied. But I was very low in terms of confidence due to the career break – you lose your identity a lot when you’re a caregiver. However, I thought to myself, if I can get a qualification; I can go out there and hopefully get an entry-level position, and work up from there.

Prior to speaking with Learning People I had reached out and researched other course providers, but Learning People kind of hit me in terms of what I needed.

 

Were there any specific skills you were looking to gain or develop by enrolling with Learning People?

No, and again, this is why I decided to enrol with Learning People as opposed to an alternative provider. At Learning People everybody’s really friendly and they really help you to nail down exactly what qualification will suit you.

The first call I had for my career consultation covered my experience in detail, and I was very much like, “Oh, you know, I think I just need something really super entry-level”. But based upon my work experience, my career consultant said, “No, you need to aim a lot higher!”

So he kindly advised me on the best courses for me to do and I enrolled on a collection that included the PRINCE2 Foundation, PRINCE2 Practitioner, PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner, and Project Management Professional (PMP).

 

Tell us what the career consultation phone call was like for you

I remember feeling uncertain and rather lost, however the career consultation call quickly settled my anxiety, predominantly as it didn’t feel like a sales pitch, which was really nice, and in fact was really personable. Harry, my career consultant, asked the right questions and just made me feel comfortable. And that conversation helped give me the confidence and the motivation to get started.

 

Tell us about your experience of learning online using our system and the associated tools

I’m not a very technical person at all – and there were a couple of platforms which I had to sign in to and learn on. But it was pretty straightforward. And actually at any point when I struggled or had any challenges or I wasn’t sure what to do, it was so easy to pick up the phone because someone would always be available – and they would take the time to talk me through things.

I spoke to so many people for support and I felt really embarrassed about it, but they always made me feel like I shouldn’t. So it was all just super helpful.

 

Did you utilise any of the course mentoring – if so, how did it help you?

I actually didn’t – dare I say, I just got it and really got the hang of it.

StudentCare and Career Services I used a lot more. I remember a time when I thought to myself, Oh my God, it’s taking me forever to learn.

So I rang up and said I’m a bit nervous because I felt it was taking me too long to get through the course, at which time StudentCare asked me how I was interacting with the platform and learning. After advising my long-winded learning method, they were brilliant at offering other learning methods and put in follow-up calls to see how I was getting on. The advice and follow-up calls made a huge difference and enabled me to get the course completed with more time efficiency, whilst ensuring I retained all the required information.

 

How did you get on with the practice exams and test preparation?

Yeah, it was okay. StudentCare’s words of wisdom really helped me and I just pushed on and passed my exams on the first sitting. It actually felt like it all went quite effortlessly.

 

Did you attend any of our Live Online Classrooms for your courses?

I did. As soon as I saw the emails for them, I just thought – I’m there!

It was also really nice to see the variety of people that attended the classrooms. You get to see who’s doing what and what people’s backgrounds are. Getting other students’ perspectives in terms of how they learn and how they progress is great.

 

Tell us about your experience working with our Career Services team

I predominantly worked with Robyn, but I did have some interaction with Marisha at the time as well.

I actually sent Robyn a thank you card recently because of how amazing she’s been. I remember my first call with her. I was thinking that I’ll do all of the courses but no one’s going to hire me unless it’s an entry-level role. And I recall that conversation and feeling quite nervous and saying to Robyn that I’ve done my LinkedIn profile, I’ve done the course, and I just need you to help me just get something where anybody that will take me!

But she said, no – you have so much more to offer. So she really built my confidence, which is so important, because that showed me that Learning People are not just course providers. At Learning People, the team is genuinely helping you succeed holistically. It’s not just ‘let’s get this person signed up for a course and then let’s just see them out the door’. Instead, you feel supported all the way through your career development as per your course.

It felt so personable and so helpful. They saw me through my LinkedIn, getting my CV done, my cover letters – and then I had a lot of interviews. And it was brilliant that even at the last minute I could call or message Robyn, and say I’ve got an interview tomorrow – and she would always make herself available.

Robyn and Marisha guided me on salary negotiation, which I didn’t expect. When I signed up with Learning People, I didn’t realise the extent to which they would support such intricacies of my career development.

And these conversations weren’t short, I’d sometimes keep them on the phone for an hour, so they are super kind and helpful. And I’ve got to say that since I left, the new role that I’ve landed is thanks to Robyn. She reached out to me to ask if I would speak to a current Learning People student regarding my specific experience to which I agreed. During the conversation, she asked how my job was going and I advised that I was job hunting again.

After hearing this, Robyn didn’t hesitate to support me again and even recommended me to my new employer, BIDCRAFT! Again, throughout my interview process, Robyn was my constant. She even watched me practise my interview presentation to make sure it was perfect for the day!

To summarise, I think Career Services are incredible at seeing you as a person holistically. Not just getting the course done, but getting the job and helping boost your confidence as well.

With learning people you’re not just signing up for a course – you’re getting an amazing service with that personal touch which is just so important. And that’s not just with Career Services – everybody I’ve spoken to at Learning People has been super helpful.

 

Tell us about your new job

It’s a completely different arena. And it’s almost like I’m moving away from project management. I’m going to be working as a consultant in the field of bidding for a company called BIDCRAFT.

BIDCRAFT works with companies such as Accenture to help with proposals and bids that they make towards private and public sector organisations, including MOD and MOJ. They provide training and support for the bidding companies and help tailor proposals.

There’s actually a BIDCRAFT training academy, which I will be signed up to in order to excel my learning in bidding.

 

What has been the best part of your Learning People experience?

The people. Doing the course has been amazing and it’s felt like such an achievement. If someone told me 2 years ago that I’d now be in this role now, I wouldn’t have believed them. However, I can genuinely say that I would not have got to where I have now without the people at Learning People supporting me.

It’s easy for somebody to just give you the tools, but it’s so different when somebody holds your hand through it and makes themselves available. And I think what’s amazing about the people at Learning People is the positivity that comes through, you can feel the rapport and enthusiasm. You really do get the sense that it’s all about you in that moment.

 

What advice would you give to somebody who is thinking about enrolling with Learning People?

And I would say do it! When you enrol with Learning People you get the whole holistic experience. If you’re at a point in your career, whether you’re progressing further in your industry or a complete career transition, (which is something I did), Learning People is the place you want to be. You’ll get the whole package. You’re not just paying for qualification, you’re paying for a career transition.

 

Start learning today

If you are looking to improve your project management skills like Geeta, please get in touch with us today and we can guide you through every step to help embark you on your new career.  

If are feeling inspired and want to transition into IT like Daton, simply get in touch with one of our I.T. career consultants.  Experience world class career education and support from the experts in tech today.