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Next step up the ladder.. when were you ready?

Joni

Hi all,

I've posted a similar post to this in the past so please forgive me if it sounds slightly repetitive! 

How long were you all in your first, entry level HR position before you moved up? I've been HR Admin for 3 and a half years now and am L3 qualified. Prior to that I have 2 years recruitment experience (admin/resourcing/some account management).

I recently interviewed for a HR admin position and I think the company was a bit surprised that I was still considering HR admin positions. Whilst I am keen to develop and progress, I still feel like I have some way to go before jumping up the ladder - and even then I'm not sure what the next step would be? HR Coordinator? Officer?

How long were you all in your first HR role for before taking the next step up? What key things should I be looking for in my next role in terms of progression and development? I love admin and enjoy it but do want something a bit more challenging and to learn new skills - and if I'm honest, I'm a little bit over being the office run around - I would like more authority and capacity to make decisions. Can I jump up a step and learn these skills along the way, or do I need them under my belt before I attempt to apply for something more senior? Or - is 3 and a half years not that long, and should I wait a wee while longer?

I hope this makes sense! Am feeling a bit static in terms of my career and not sure where to go from here.

Thanks,

Joni 

  • Hi Joni,

    I moved from HR Assistant to HR Advisor after a year and a half as I was quite keen to move up after my masters. It might be worth seeing if you can get involved in some ER cases to start?
  • Hi Joni,

    I think it's all down to you and what you feel works for you!

    It'd be totally reasonable to take a step up at this stage, into say a HR Assistant role, but as you probably know titles can mean very different things to different people!

    Why don't you do an assessment under the CIPD Profession Map to help you? You've already got Level 3 so that would definitely be attractive to a prospective employer for the next step up.

    That being said. If you're happy as you are, or don't feel quite ready for it, you do you!
  • Hi Joni

    Great post.

    Ultimately you've outlined some things you'd like to achieve out of your next role. A move into another HR admin role would feel different especially if you weren't the most junior in the team.

    I have clients that only want an experienced solid HR administrator and will pay for it. But others that want someone with ideas and energy to hit the ground running and be their HR lead. The type of industry you work in can make the same job feel very different.

    I did an administrative role for 7 years before I moved into an HR Officer role. The admin role was in L&D and being at that level for a while gave me better exposure as I often got to attend corporate events that I had organised and gained knowledge and experiences others in higher roles didn't get. Then I went to a similar type of businesses (accountancy) where I finished my studies and led Graduate recruitment provided a generalist service. I loved it but the timing was right.

    I have noticed that males tend to move before they have all the experience and females hang on much longer. Maybe I did that too and so do push ahead if you are ambitious.

    Good luck!
    Ruth
  • in reply to Ellie
    I didn't ever think there was much of a difference between HR Assistant and Admin - but like you said, maybe that's the case in different companies?

    Will definitely do another assessment on the CIPD map.

    Thank you for your advice! :)
  • It's horses for courses!

    I moved roles when I could not see that I was going to get any further development. There have also been times when I have played it safe when I should have trusted myself to be capable to reach higher (I had a similar challenge at an interview)

    Why not apply for roles that you think may be a little too senior for you - firstly, you never know - you may land one but if you don't you can get some really useful feedback.

    There is no rule, no right or wrong - go with your brain (as well as your gut) but don't be afraid to stretch yourself - you will be surprised at what others see in you

    Good luck

    Jo
  • in reply to Jo
    I think that's part of my problem - I don't have the confidence in myself to apply for the more senior positions but at the same time, I'm not necessarily learning anything new in my current role. Thanks for the advice!
  • in reply to Joni

    How to Beat the Imposter Syndrome feeling...

  • I think it's not so much "how many years do I need to do before I move up", and more of a "when I feel ready" for me personally. When you are deliberate and methodical in going out of your comfort zone, challenging things e.g. a situation: instead of "Fill this form, please, Joni. Yes, OK" you go "Why do we need this form? Can we do it differently? Maybe we should introduce a digital way of collecting this data and here're 3 ways of doing it and 3 quotes" - you know you are ready. When you start seeing the bigger picture and analysing the whole event with potential outcomes and consequences, rather than merely processing the admin aspect of it - you're ready! :)
  • Go find a good executive coach to explore whether or not you could be creating internal barriers to your own progression. Curious about what is stopping you from climbing faster with confidence
  • Hi Joni,

    Wow, reading your post was like reading an extract from my own brain; I feel exactly the same. I am also L3 qualified, around 3 years experience where I did briefly have an HR Advisor role through progression in a company I was with for a long time.. however, I've had a bit of a HR employment gap recently due to leaving that role to go travelling. When I returned back to the UK, I found it really difficult to find HR roles above admin level as everybody seems to be asking for Level 5 qualifications now and even 'must be willing to study towards Level 5' for some HR Admin roles I saw. I decided to start again, go into HR admin, and enrolled onto the level 5 CIPD Certificate in January in the hope that this boosts my knowledge/prospects and I can learn off all the Advisors/Managers that are enrolled on to the course.

    Perhaps considering a next step up such as coordinator/Advisor with a company that will support you by putting you through your L5 qualification so you can learn and build your knowledge alongside starting your new role would be helpful for you? I think you'll surprise yourself with how much you actually know and can offer to an Advisor role if you don't hold yourself back; 3 years is a good amount of experience and perfectly reasonable time to start thinking about next steps.

    Good luck - hope it all works out for you soon.