Amy Kelsey

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship in payroll?

I chose an apprenticeship in payroll as it was something completely different and previously to securing my apprenticeship I was working as a nursery nurse. However, I was on a zero-hour contract, and as much as I loved working with young people, I knew that I wanted something with a bit more security. I wanted to develop into a career that I felt I could develop further as an individual. 

What is it that you enjoy about working in payroll?

The thing I love most about working in payroll is getting satisfaction when meeting deadlines and doing my job accurately every day to the best of my ability. I enjoy working within my team when a query comes up and working together to solve it, I love working in a team and feel like this had developed my confidence and self – esteem along the way. I like to think that I am an organised and hardworking individual and working within payroll, I feel you have to be organised and hard working to push yourself to meet deadlines but do this in an organised manner and know how to prioritise your workload. 

Were you always interested in a career in payroll?

Growing up I never really knew exactly what I wanted to do. It wasn't until the opportunity came up that I gave it a thought; however, it was the best decision I ever made. The opportunity arose, and after reading the job description and skills required, I really thought it was something for me. I was interested in trying something different and something new and knowing how much scope and opportunities working within payroll would give me; I saw this as a great opportunity and something I couldn't turn down. I was intrigued to find out more about working in payroll, and I was really interested in learning all aspects of the job.  

Was securing an apprenticeship a difficult process?

Well, like any new job, it came with nerves and anticipation. I applied for the job through the Gentoo vacancies website and heard back through an email that I had been shortlisted and had been invited to attend an assessment centre. This was something I'd never experienced before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect, on the day of the assessment centre I was really nervous and thought I couldn't do it, but I pushed myself and did the best I could do. Little did I know, that my best was enough and I then heard back that I'd been selected for an interview, again I was a little nervous but having done the assessment centre I actually felt a little bit more at ease in my interview. I felt my interview went really well considering it was only the second job interview I had; I came out knowing there was nothing more I could have done as I was just myself and that's all I could have been. I received a phone call to be offered the job, and I was absolutely overwhelmed, I couldn't believe that I actually did it and that's where it all began. 

What are the top three benefits you have experienced, thanks to an apprenticeship?

The top three benefits of being able to do an apprenticeship for me would be, having the experience of actually working in a workplace environment. Having the opportunity to get the experience of working in the role itself is a great benefit as you can get an idea of what it's like and what it requires. Another benefit for me would be that I have gained a lot of confidence and developed my personal skills further since starting my apprenticeship. I feel like it has helped me develop as a person and I have been given opportunities to develop my career further and having people within my organisation believe in me and support me through the whole of my apprenticeship has defiantly contributed to this.

Finally, I feel like having the chance to do an apprenticeship has given me an insight into what I want to do in the future and what path I want to go down. Having the opportunity to work in payroll and develop my knowledge and skills further has made me want to go on to complete my CIPP in Payroll Professionals. I have been able to do this by completing my apprenticeship, so for me, the biggest benefit I've received thanks to an apprenticeship would be the opportunities it's given me to develop further. 

What are your ambitions for your payroll career?

I would like to complete my CIPP Payroll Foundation Degree and then go on further to learn about the payroll processing side and seeing a pay run from start to finish. I would like to gain more knowledge on pensions around year-end and auto-enrolment. I feel like it would be a good opportunity to learn more on the whole of payroll and gain more confidence in other aspects of payroll. 

Can you see yourself studying further?

Yes, I can see myself going on to complete the advanced payroll diploma after completing my foundation. I feel like this would be a great opportunity to learn more about other aspects of payroll and put theory into practice. Once having done this, I feel I would be more confident to go on to do more of a payroll managers role.