Opening New Doors Through Learning
Barbara Zesik describes herself as a professional with a lifelong passion for learning and self-development so it’s little surprise that at the beginning of 2006, she decided to study for a Masters degree. As Talent Manager at Dell, she felt that the position could be given more credibility with a dose of academic rigour. But first, she needed to choose the right place and programme to study.
“There are a wealth of HR MSc courses out there but for me, Roffey Park’s People and Organisational Development degree stood
out from the crowd,” explains Barbara. “Firstly, I had heard countless good reports from colleagues about the standards at
Roffey. More importantly, I was attracted to the holistic approach and self-managed learning. Being able to select your own areas
of study and working in learning sets also proved persuasive.”
Barbara began her course in early 2006 and admits that her expectations were high: “I knew it would be challenging, hard work; after all, you don’t get an MSc by collecting tokens from cereal packets. However, with dedication and a little personal sacrifice, I found the course manageable and the challenges were matched by intense stimulation.”
“It was immensely satisfying to work with a close knit set of fellow professionals whom you could rely on for support – but also for brutal honesty when it came to the standard of your work. Over the course of the degree, we each wrote eight papers of up to 20,000 words and these had to be passed or failed by the group and the Roffey Park Learning Set Advisor. We also became close friends and even now regularly meet to catch up.”
The residential experience was also special for Barbara: “Roffey Park is a wonderful location and especially conducive for learning. The environment oozes tranquillity both literally and metaphorically; there is space to roam and space to think. Moreover, the food and accommodation are of a very high standard and it has a great pool and gym facility. Most impressive though, were the research support staff in the Learning Resource Centre. When working on a paper, I could request more information or press cuttings on a specific topic. Within two days, I’d have 30 attachments in my inbox. It certainly helped me juggle the workload.”
Having completed her MSc, Barbara feels it has made a genuine impact on her working life: “I felt more confident; the HR function can often be overlooked but I felt as if I had more of a voice in the company. What it taught me above all is how to analyse a situation, pull it apart, dig into the details, and make a more grounded decision. Not only that, but my career progressed significantly, as evidenced by a move from Dell to Motorola whilst studying, and most recently joining Palm. I’m convinced that the MSc on my CV was essential in making that next step in my career and I would not hesitate to recommend Roffey’s MSc programme.”
Barbara Zesik
HR Director EMEA at Palm Europe Limited
(MSc Year: January 2006 - 2008)
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Barbara Zesik.pdf
Building Credibility
David Sherrit has spent 16 years at Chevron involved in various aspects of personnel management and development. Despite this, he had never completed a formal university degree but had always wanted to prove himself capable of the task. In 2005, this led him to explore the possibility of undertaking an MSc. Having used Roffey Park in the past, its People and Organisational Development degree was the natural choice for him.
“When I first began working with Roffey Park, I was immediately struck by their people-led approach and the quality of the staff; talking with course directors had a profound effect on me,” explains David. “So when I came to consider my own learning requirements, Roffey Park was top of the list.”
“I went into the degree with a relaxed and confident frame of mind but the honeymoon period soon ended,” adds David. “I have to admit that after completing the first module, I was more than a little nervous! The fact is that this is a tremendously challenging course and not one to be embarked on lightly. However, this also demonstrated to me the enormous value I would get out of completing the degree.”
For David, the learning sets were a crucial part of the experience, giving him the opportunity to work with like-minded peers and be brutally honest about each other’s work. Equally important were the residential modules spent in Sussex. “Roffey Park is a magical venue. It boasts a tranquil ambience that really inspires learning, while combining cutting edge academic resources with first class accommodation, catering and facilities.”
David also emphasises the dual nature of the journey he made over his two years with Roffey Park: “For me, the course was not just about the papers we wrote and the material we learnt although those were obviously important. It was also a personal journey on which I, as a person, grew and developed. It taught me to have the courage to find out who I was and what part that plays in my professional life, taking a holistic approach that binds the personal with the academic.”
Self-managed learning is also a critical part of the Roffey Park approach, according to David: “Roffey Park opens your mind to managing your own learning now and in the future. I now have the confidence and critical robustness to pick up what previously would have been a daunting book and analytically unpick it. There are no longer any barriers because of the critical thinking and research skills I have developed during the course.”
“I find I’m enjoying my job more than ever as a result of the degree,” concludes David. “The company has recognised the qualification and it has helped me move on and expand my team. I’ve grown the value of internal consultancy and refined my approach and how I think about work. Roffey Park gave me the tools to become more credible and make a strategic business impact at a senior level.”
David Sherrit
Learning and Organisation Development Manager, Chevron Upstream Europe
(MSc Year: January 2005-2007)
download a pdf version David Sherrit case study.pdf
Expanding the boundaries of professional knowledge
Hilary Oakley has been a HR professional for many years and has always been keen to explore the field in a more academically rigorous fashion. For that reason, she was interested in taking a recognised Masters that would enhance her skills and her approach to work.
“I had wanted to extend my professional knowledge by undertaking a Masters degree for some time,” explains Hilary. “The opportunity to explore the field of OD beyond the pragmatic day to day learning you get on the job was extremely attractive to me. For that reason I began researching the various organisations and institutes that offer appropriate degrees.” Despite her research, there were few courses that sparked Hilary’s interest. However, she had heard good reports about Roffey Park from various sources: “I had never been to Roffey Park but it had a great reputation among my colleagues plus I happened to meet a Roffey Park consultant on another course who gave me a balanced and objective account of the Roffey Park approach. It was this that convinced me that Roffey Park could provide the ideal MSc for me.”
“I found Roffey Park’s approach really interesting. It is different in that it has academic rigour without the confining, restrictive structure found on so many other courses, and your learning goes much further and deeper than the purely theoretical” continues Hilary. “However, I was also probably naive about what this would mean in practice. It’s difficult to understand the process before you’re immersed in it and it entailed a lot of hard work and commitment.”
“The course offered much more than I anticipated which was fantastic. It introduced me to self-managed learning and developed my critical thinking ability which are incredibly valuable tools that prove useful even after completing the course. The degree itself works on several levels – combining academic knowledge with a deeper understanding of who you are and what is important to you. It also builds strong relationships with your peers in the learning sets; even now, two years after completing the Masters, we still meet up and continue use the learning set environment to further our learning.”
Another factor that made Roffey Park unique in Hilary’s eyes is the environment: “There is no doubt that Roffey Park as a venue is ideal as it creates a space to think and learn away from the pressures of daily office life. The Learning Resource Centre is invaluable, the resources and staff are great in providing support to you while you study.
Having completed her journey, Hilary has seen it make a positive impact on her working practices and has even encouraged her to pursue her ideal career: “The MSc has become central to my work and what I do. My time at Roffey Park gave me the space to think about the type of company I want to work for and, as a result, I changed jobs shortly after completing it. I now work for an organisation that truly values people and their development and that has made a huge difference to me both professionally and personally.”
Hilary Oakley
Head of Learning and Development at Cancer Research UK
(MSc Year: January 2005-2007)
Download a pdf version Hilary Oakley case study.pdf
Further case studies
Achieving personal growth
Jo Gausden, Development Executive at the BBC, says it was a life-changing experience. “I gained a huge amount of self confidence and personal growth through the programme,” she said. “I’ve become a lot more considered, more informed and more competent.”
Download the full pdf version Jo Gausden case study.pdf
Applying the skills
“Because of the self managed nature of the programme, I’ve been working on things that are interesting to me and that I’ve been able to directly apply in my organisation,” said Kate King, Resourcing and Development Manager at Selfridges. Since starting the programme, Kate has had two promotions and she is now responsible for resourcing, management development and OD.
Download the full pdf version Kate King case study.pdf
International appeal
Peter Kreft is a Project Manager responsible for the training and development of sales and marketing teams - throughout Eastern Europe, CIS countries (including some Asian parts) and some African countries - at pharmaceutical company Lek. “I realised I needed more knowledge about organisational development if I was to become more effective at people development.” Because Slovenia is such a small country, he says he decided to look internationally for a suitable programme.
Download the full pdf version Peter Kreft case study.pdf