🤓How my experience can help with your exam success!
In today’s blog I’m being vulnerable and explaining how my experiences have not only made me a better coach, but directly support my CIMA Students.
Let me start with a power statement!
👇🏻 THIS 👇🏻
I want to help you feel: empowered , self confident, prepared and actually ready for exam day.
I want you to feel supported and I need you to trust your strategy.
I can’t legally promise my CIMA Students that they will pass their exam with my coaching (I wish I could, but I can’t)
💪🏻 But I can absolutely PROMISE and I guarantee I will try! 💪🏻
With my style of coaching- I enthusiastically coach CIMA Students (Specifically on the Strategic Level) to pass … with confidence 💪🏻
With Support – Structure and Strategy – they are my superpowers.
I have developed these over the last 11 years (since I qualified and started mentoring)
Based on my experiences let me tell you why these will directly help you guys pass your CIMA exams.
Support
Firstly I’m ridiculously passionate about this one!
I go above and beyond to support my students (many people often say I give too much support for free)
The reason why support is such a passion of mine is because I didn’t feel like I had any support whilst I was studying.
On paper I looked like I had everything – a husband, two beautiful dogs, an amazing growing finance career, a nice car, a foreign holiday every year … but I was struggling because I felt so alone.
My now ex-husband didn’t support me (obviously ex for a reason) – I remember during our marriage counselling sessions at the end, he said “I find it easy, it’s just an exam, I don’t now how to help her!” 😝🙃
A vulnerable Helen moment for sure, but I know that’s a pivotal reason why I over give support.
I desperately needed it
Now I have time & expertise to give it to my students – I make sure they feel as supported as possible.
Feeling alone in this journey is not cool and doesn’t need to be that way.
{I used BPP for most of my study by the way, so I wasn’t completely alone, but oh wow, I wished for so much more support!}
Structure
Secondly this is whole-heartedly part of my personality.
Being organised – planning – and finding specific structured ways to get the task done (as quick as possible!)
All of my school reports said “Helen is a race horse. She rushed to get things finished and is impatient!”
Yes! Absolutely that is true!
Luckily I have used this to my advantage and over the last twenty years I have grown up and got smarter!
I work hard – I pride myself on my work ethic. And I value hard work.
Plus I love being busy… but let’s be real for a minute!
I don’t want to work this hard!
The phrase: work smarter not harder rings alarm bells at me all the time!
So that’s what I’ve done – especially with my coaching.
I coach CIMA Students to have a SMART Structured Revision Phase.
In 2024 I’ve gone full on!
I give my students structured coaching: With a revision plan, task, tactics, and techniques so they can stay on the right track (for them)
No cookie cutter plans here!
Specific (which you now is now my new middle name) and Structured: so that you don’t rush past the important parts (but also don’t procrastinate or panic)
So far in 2024
I have created a new Structured Strategic Case Study Course <link>
To not only share all of my SCS exam techniques but to get you to know HOW to get 100 marks within 5 weeks!
I’m working on my Strategic Objective Test Course next (have a peak here)
And I have a PER course coming in the summer … and if you’re lucky I can do MCS Coaching!
I’m putting in the hard work for you in 2024 so that YOU can get your CIMA plaque up on the wall!
I structure my coaching, my courses (and yes my life) very specifically now!
I’m leaning on my personality and my strengths to empower myself and produce strong happy actions!
You get the benefit of my structure #whoop whoop
Strategy
Lastly and by no means leastly, the core of my being and my ultimate life love!
Strategy!
Using strategies, implementing strategies, having a journey and seeing the end result because the strategy (and plan) worked!
💡 Oh It lights me up! 💡
I have a 1st Class Business Studies Degree (from UWE) which I’m very proud of and I have always said I want to do a Masters in Strategic Management {Extra academics… wow I must be a geek!}
I’m a huge fan of board games – I always pick ones with a strategy!
I’ve been learning backgammon with my dad and last month I won 3 out of 4 games! Because I used my strategy! Don’t get me started on monopoly cos I’ll get super competitive {but that’s a separate blog!}
Strategy means adventure.
Thinking about, planning and taking action towards something in a way that makes me feel smart, happy and creates memories.
I don’t plod through life … and the thought of ‘winging it’ makes me feel like a rabbit in headlights! 🐰😬
I form strategies in order to manage and control situations (yes hands up I’m a control freak)
The strategy I bring to my coaching is focus on YOU!
How I can coach you to revise round your work week. With a plan and tactics that not only help you feel less overwhelmed but also happy and so you can have revision fun (yes really!)
Bringing you a revision strategy gives you revision confidence (read all about that in last weeks blog here) and when you feel more confident I know you revise more, the information goes in and you can recall better!
The experiences I’ve had so far in my 41 years of life have shaped me to the coach I am today.
The CIMA journey I have had was challenging!
Don’t get me wrong, it was worth it – I got my plaque.
But it still erks me that it took me 6 bloody years to pass and figure it out!
I find it embarrassing that I had to work so hard for me to find the strategy and structure that worked for me!
Whilst I was balance my amazing finance career with the fact I was failing exams and not making progress!
Finding the strategy and structure that I needed specifically for my revision phase was transformational!
But I had to do it allll myself – and that made it ten times harder!
If you’re reading this thinking “Yes Helen, that sounds like me!”
📧 Then I need you to get in touch! 📧
Use this blog: How my experience can help with your exam success to make a difference to your revision!
If you’ve failed your *F3* resit (again) and you feel embarrassed, exhausted and frustrated.
🤓 Then get my help! 🤓😝
My new (free) revision resource I available! My 5 best CIMA Exam Techniques
You do not need to revise alone.
I’m here so that you know what to do, when and how!
PHEW!
As a Revision Coach I use my superpowers for good {not evil}
You’re reading this for a reason! I want you to take action.
Last weekend I coached Lyndsey – she had a power hour with me ( Here is the link if you want one too!)
I want to share what she said during our call because it’s really important for you to hear.
“I’ve followed you on Linkedin for ages, I saw your feedback post from your students saying they’ve passed and I want that to be me!
I don’t wanna waste my time re-sitting! My times so precious, I don’t wanna be doing that. I want to get it done now.”
🤓 Take this as a sign to be more like her! 🤓
My experience in one was a rollercoaster!
An emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows.
You can read about my full CIMA journey in my blogs: Diaries of an Oddball Accountant
I’ll end today’s blog here with these 2 final thoughts:
1 – My most common phrase is ‘Don’t make the mistakes I did!’
2- Actions Speak Louder than Words!
Thank you for reading and being in my Revision corner of the Internet! 🤓❤️