A career in HR can be very diverse and interesting. It’s one of those business functions where the experience, knowledge,and expertise of the team members can be transferred to many different industries or companies.
We’ve reached out to two HR professionals and asked them what their HR career journeys have been like.
HR Business Partner
“I went to university and studied Psychology, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go once I had graduated. After some research I thought that the HR function sounded really interesting and different, so I started studying for a CIPD level three which then helped me get my first HR job.
I was an HR Assistant for three years in the engineering industry, and then I started studying for a CIPD level five. After this role, I then went on to be an HR Officer for another three years in the education sector.
Everything I learned in these two roles; all the experience, knowledge, and skills I gained then gave me the capability needed to become an HR Business Partner. I have now been an HR Business Partner for four years in the manufacturing industry.
My advice to anyone thinking of joining HR is to take every opportunity to learn about employment updates i.e. seminars etc. and I attended a lot of the CIPD-led seminars, not only to learn but also to network.
If you’re looking for a job where you’re able to learn and that is constantly evolving, then a role in HR is for you. I have absolutely no regrets and I love my current role and the career journey I have taken to get here.”
Senior HR Advisor
“My current role is a Senior HR Advisor, I love this role as I’m able to deputise for the HR Manager when needed. I’ve been in this role for two and a half years. There are currently nine members of the HR department and the team is constantly growing.
I have really enjoyed my HR career journey so far, with each of my job moves I’ve managed to take a step up the HR career ladder.
I started out as an HR Assistant and held this role for 18 months. I then moved up to become an HR Administrator for two years and seven months. This role was a great stepping-stone for me to then became a Senior HR Administrator which I held for one year. These roles gave me the confidence I needed to take another step up and then I took a couple of shorter-term placements to build on my experience and knowledge. I was an HR Administration Team Leader for ten months followed by an Assistant HR Advisor for eight months.
I learned a lot in all of my previous roles and gained all the skills and experience needed to become an HR Executive. I was in this role for two years. This role was then followed by becoming an HR Generalist for five months before I landed my current position as a Senior HR Advisor.
I’d say, working in HR is varied and there are always opportunities to learn, grow and move around to get to where you want to be.”
If you are a Human Resources professional or looking for your first HR job and want to explore the opportunities available for you, please get in touch with us today!
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