Writing can be time-consuming especially when you have to submit your CIPD assignment for assessment. There are many reasons why most people see writing as a daunting task but with the right tools and proper guidance, writing your academic paper, which is a prerequisite for your HR or L&D certification in CIPD, shouldn’t be the reason you stay up all night. Here are five tips that will improve your chances of scoring a pass with ease:
Set up time and plan
If this is your first time or you’re just getting started, preparation is essential for success. Ensure you understand the due date, check and countercheck the assignment criteria as well as assignment document. Task by task, skim through your reading list, texts and other reference materials and remember to take down notes, so it can be easier for you to draw a map of your initial impression regarding what is expected. To effectively do this, plan your time and allow yourself enough time to conduct research, writeup your draft and eventually submit your assignment.
You shouldn’t limit yourself
Writer’s block! This isn’t a buzz word and anyone can be affected. Think about it, you’ve muted all distractions and you’re all set, and ready to begin writing your assignment. But you quickly discover that you are unable to think of any ideas.
Avoid limiting yourself to a perfectionist’s view. Jot down or write any random ideas that come to your mind first. Once you begin this first step, you’ll realise that your brain will subconsciously start connecting the dots, and the more you write these ideas down, the clearer your goals become. The same idea applies to procrastination, it is a natural occurrence that your brain will at some point try to divert your attention away from something that you feel has a degree of difficulty or is not pleasant. The solution is to start, and once you are at it then it becomes much easier to get into a flow.
Be the academic, reason like one
Every set of academic paper follows a different writing style and differs from other publications. It’s normal, academic papers are more formal and require your knowledge on critical thinking to build on existing ideas. The best way for you to get helpful academic sources can be through pre-reviewed journals, library catalogues and other academic work. Blogs and other secondary sources do not count as possible reference material, and are therefore not recommended. This means that you may have to read through multiple journals, and articles to find a missing piece of the puzzle that is required to write your masterpiece. To get this done, you’ll have to rely on patience; you’ll get bored but make an effort to enjoy and consider this as a learning process. Make a point of storing the information you are learning in your brain even if it’ll not be used in your assignment.
Always Cite
Cite and reference as you write. This is one of the most important aspects of writing a great assignment. The inclusion of academic journals in your work provides validity and also are a source of new information that can be used in your assignment. It is always best practice to add in-text citations and have a reference list at the end. Do this even as you’re working through your rough notes. For CIPD, you will need to use the Harvard system of referencing. Getting yourself familiar with this system will reduce your work in the later stages of your assignment.
Watch the Deadline
As the deadline draws near, watch every step you make. Check that you meet the stipulated word count and countercheck sources. When you’re satisfied with work that you have written, revisit your points, and after a good night’s sleep, walk over your paper with a fresh perspective. Run a spell check, review sources and ensure citations are properly formatted. Finally, ask a friend to go over your completed work to assess it for readability, once done, prepare it for submission.
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