Welcome to the Chartered Institute of Marketing!
Author: Claire Sweet
By now, you’ll be coming to the end of the holidays and wondering “where did those weeks go?!” Well the next few months will go just as quick as time flies when you’re having fun and I really hope you are going to have a lot of fun studying for your CIM qualification. It really is fantastic that you’ve chosen to study with the CIM and are now a member of such a brilliant organisation that can really help further your career.
Having spent the August – yes AUGUST – bank holiday weekend doing a little shopping, I was surprised to see that some shops had already started to bring in CHRISTMAS products! But we know it will be here sooner than we know it!
Whatever programme you are studying there will be an exam or an assignment due in before Christmas…and I’m sure you’ll be wondering how you’re going to fit everything in…but don’t panic!
Having completed both the level 4 and 6 whilst in full time employment, both times I found myself getting ever closer to the ‘C’ time (Christmas) and feeling like the time was running out and I didn’t have enough time to fit everything in.
It’s perfectly do-able – take it from someone who has a bad habit of leaving everything to the last minute! But that’s how I work best – under pressure – and it encourages me to focus harder on what I am doing. But that’s not for everyone, the important fact it to work how best suits you. Whether you’re revising for an exam or researching for your assignment, one thing I will say is that you have to work in whichever way suits YOU.
As I’ve said before…TIME. It’s a funny thing. They say it goes quicker when you’re having fun – but even quicker when you’re counting down the days to hand in date or the upcoming exam. I say remember this:
T – Take time
I – Invest time
M – Make time
E – Enjoy the time
T – Take time over your work. Read through every sentence and ensure your referencing is correct. These are easy marks to pick up or lose. Ensure your grammar is correct and that spellcheck has done its job correctly!
I – Invest time over your work. Whether it is setting aside a weekend day or a number of hours each night; when your marks come through and you’ve passed, you’ll be so glad you did and it will be worth it.
M – Make time for study and reading. There are some fantastic marketing books out there and it really is worth reading them. I know it might be easy to go and watch that new drama on tv or do ‘that one job that needs doing’ – but making time to focus on your research / revision will really make all the difference.
E – Enjoy the time you spend on your work. Yes, it might be stressful at times, but that’s all part of the fun. Enjoy the reading and research – there’s so much interesting stuff out there. Attend CIM events and listen to some fantastic speakers. You’ve chosen to do this and so it should be enjoyable.
May I wish you all the best with your future studies and remember – enjoy it!
Claire Sweet
Student & Education Ambassador, South West CIM