Background:
Robbie Andrade, 27, from Guernsey studied European Law at Edge Hill University in Lancaster. Upon graduating in 2004, Robbie decided to take a break from studying so he could make an informed choice about what his next career move should be. In 2005, he joined the Channel Islands Stock Exchange (CISX) as a listings analyst, and has never looked back. He says: “The CISX is a fantastic place to work with no two days the same. The diversity and culture of the office is second to none.”
The challenge:
When he started work, Robbie found that while his academic studies helped him understand much of his role at CISX, he needed to develop his management skills to help him work more effectively. The challenge this presented him with was how to build up management skills early in his career to put him at an advantage when opportunities arose to move into more senior management positions in the future.
Goals:
Through considering the different options for studying management and developing the skills he needed, Robbie identified that a course which would allow him to gain practical skills at the same time as a professional qualification would best suit his requirements. The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Introductory qualifications allowed him to balance gaining a good understanding of the foundations of management with the day to day obligations of his working life.
Action:
Robbie began with the Level 4 Introductory Diploma in Management and then progressed to the Introductory Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring. He says: “What I learnt from the modules of both perfectly bridged the gaps in my knowledge and skills. Coaching and Mentoring in particular had a significant impact on the way I work. There’s a great deal of emphasis on on-the-job training at CSIX so being able to inspire colleagues and having confidence in how to coach and mentor is vital to enabling them to fulfil their full potential.
“As it was my decision to study, I was motivated to get as much out of it as possible. Having had a taste of what CMI qualifications could offer from the introductory courses, I’m now aiming to follow these up by progressing on to the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management. My ultimate goal is to achieve Chartered Manager status. I’ll be one of only a few people in Guernsey who can boast this, so it’ll definitely bring benefits both to my personal career profile and to my organisation as a whole.”
Results:
Two programmes into his CMI professional training, Robbie has seen a huge difference in his understanding of general management and the way he practises.
“For me, the fact that I’m putting the skills and knowledge the training has equipped me with, into practice all the time is evidence of how effective it’s been. For example, conducting my first appraisal recently necessitated the use of many of the things I’ve learnt to date, clearly showing how easily the courses translate into working life. I’m much more confident in my ability to manage and I hope this will have a knock on effect on both my colleagues and stakeholders of the CISX.”
