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DCG Role Models Ioana Alina Szabo

DCG Success Stories

Ioana Alina Szabo

Distance learning student Ioana Alina Szabo

Study Type: Adult and Community
Study Location: Distance Learning
Subject Studied: Business,Leadership and Management

Distance learning gives Ioana confidence to progress business admin career

Taking a distance learning course with Derby College Group has given Romanian-born Ioana Szabo the confidence to advance her administrative career. 

Ioana, who took the Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Business Administration, is now hoping to progress in her job and become a business administrator. 

Ioana, 37, studied public administration at University in Romania, but when she first came to Britain she didn’t think her English was good enough to get her an office job. 

She said: “I had the basics I’d learned in school but that’s not the same as being able to hold a conversation in English. I took warehouse and housekeeping jobs but didn’t apply for office work.”  

Nine years on, Ioana, who lives in Gloucestershire, works for Cirencester-based Govtech Solutions, an IT service provider specialising in digital process automation for UK local authorities. 

She said: “I love my job – Govtech’s a lovely company to work for – and what I’ve learned on my distance learning course will improve my chances of furthering my career.  

“I gained new skills on my course such as knowing how to produce official documents. Writing for business is quite different from writing a letter to a friend.  

“My Derby College tutor was lovely. She let me have an extension if I was finding it hard to submit my work on time.

“I studied on my day off in the week, when the children were in bed, or whenever I had any free time. I’m mum to three boys – twins aged 13 and an 11-year-old so I’m quite busy.”  

Ioana also liked receiving her tutor’s feedback 

She added: “It was great. Reading it gave me the encouragement I needed to keep on moving. I finished my course in May and would love to do another one.” 

My Derby College tutor was lovely. She let me have an extension if I was finding it hard to submit my work on time.

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