Are you a lifelong learner? I know I certainly am! If I could be a professional student, that would be the perfect job for me! After I received my psychology (hons) degree from University, I continued on to get a certificate in Business Administration just out of interest. When I moved to Belfast I continued to take a few courses here and there, and now I’m currently taking a course through NCC to help give me some motivation and confidence to further my virtual assistant business.
NCC has kindly let me have access to their course, Personal Assistant Diploma, Level 3. I know, I know, I have enough on my plate as it is; why would I be interested in taking a course for myself? For many reasons; I am a self-certified lifelong learner, I love to learn, it is good for the children to see me learning and know that it can also be done for interest and not just because you ‘have to’ learn. In addition to those reasons, I have also been working as a virtual assistant over the past couple of years and it would be nice to have something recent to put on my list of qualifications.
I used to enjoy attending various lifelong learning classes when I lived in Belfast, but it is no longer logistical as I wouldn’t make it there by the time Phil returns home from work (not to mention that I work evenings), and the cost of transportation would not be feasible for me right now. However, with distance learning, I don’t have to worry about transportation costs, and I can sit down and do the learning at a time and place that suits me.
I’m currently working my way through this course, when and where I can (I took the printouts with me to the Portrush Airshow over the weekend and did a little reading while waiting for the show to begin…until the weather decided to spit a little and Id didn’t want my notes to become a soupy mess). I’ve taken them with me to the library, and to the kids’ Ju-Jitsu training to read while they train. Yes, if you’re serious about something, there is always a way to do it; even if you must take your time and work your way through a page at a time.
NCC has courses on childminding, psychology, IGCSEs, teaching assistants, business administration, upcycling furniture, nutrition, and much more. They have had 300,000 students gain new qualifications in the UK.
The Personal Assistant Diploma course has 10 modules:
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Understanding organisations
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Professional approach to work
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Communication
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Time management
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Managing business information
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Office management systems and procedures
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Customer service
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Working with others
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Legal and regulatory requirements
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Handling difficult situations
Each module is further divided into smaller subsections that are easy to read and digest, and at the end of the course is a Personal Assistant Exam.
I am going to continue to work my way through this course and when I’ve completed it, I will update you and let you know how it has gone, so stay tuned for that in a few months.
If you’d like to know more or would like to follow NCC Home Learning, you can connect with them through their website, Facebook, and Twitter.
