Good luck.

In reply to Keith:

Seconded.

Andte
I also wish you good luck with your career aspirations but also urge you to not let these be the focus of your life to the exclusion of all else. You need a good work/life balance and, in my opinion, the 'life' should take priority. There is nothing to be ashamed of remaining as an administrator.
Oh, and I am another who did not commence my HR career until my 40's but found that my previous experiences and general life skills (i.e. practical application) were more important to companies than qualifications which are theory based. If you do not have the relevant skills to transfer the theory into practice (and it is not always or even often a 'black and white' scenario) then you may as well not have the qualifications.
Sue

In reply to Susan May:

What the real issue is and was to summarise this to everyone here, is not really the neureodiversity or age, as we are all neureodiverse to a lesser or greater extent.

I do not really have the experience, the right type of, length and level of experience. The experience factor (or age old catch 22 and chicken and egg scenario) is always the ultimate and final determining factor over who is getting the jobs or not.

I also cannot get that type of experience either, so that is where the problem lies.

Formal education gets you the interview but practical experience is the key that unlocks the door to the job. Always has been, always will be and it’s exactly the same case in all 195 countries of the world. 

In reply to Andre:

Hi Andre

Best of luck in your job search.

Maybe consider voluntary positions, or CIPD Steps Ahead Mentoring, or other ways to broaden your practical experience.

As you have identified, this might help you more than continuing theoretical/academic learning.

In reply to Keith:

I have found the reason behind it all in relation to all my previous posts about progression or otherwise in the HR profession.

In my case, my level of formal education still does not automatically translate into or correlate with being able to perform a role designed for the same level, i.e. HR Advisor. Apart from not having the experience, it's more of a capability issue that I can't do the job to the necessary level and standard.

Is that a more less common scenario if you have the ability to study and gain professional qualifications on a certain level, but similarly do not have the aptitude to work in and carry out the corresponding jobs on that same level?

In short, I can obtain the CIPD Level 7, but do not seem to be able to effectively work and operate in an HR job above HR Administrator level. I cannot do the job due to the wide experience gap that cannot be easily bridged and wide imbalance between level of HR education and level of HR experience.

Are there any remedies for this? Its about a systematic and structural mismatch of educational and employment levels here which has been going on for sometime.  

Maybe this is the end result if you do a CIPD 7 whilst working as an HR Administrator, or in my case at least. You still don't the experience to be able to work on a more advanced level despite of the qualification alone as your daytime role is still HR Administrator, and as you have not been exposed to that depth of HR experience. You process forms but don't chair meetings etc.    

In reply to Susan May:

To add, it is also fair to say that the vast majority of HR Advisor job advertisements look for the successful candidate to already be working as an HR Advisor with several years relevant HR / ER Advisory experience in the person specification which is usually an 'essential requirement.' They do not usually take candidates currently working as HR Administrators as apart from not having that relevant experience, it's a seperate role on a different level and career pathway track in its own right.

Thus, it was near impossible in my case at least. I can't comment on how other people may or may not do it, but one should not compare themselves with others. I am not them and they are not me.

With myself however, I cannot do it which has become self evident by now. I tried, did what I could and gave it my very best shot, but it was however obviously not meant to be.     

A lifetime career as an HR Administrator is however a respectable role and niche in its own right. Its admittedly an average everyday job that 90% of the population do out to perform on a daily basis, such as being a Cashier or Customer Service Assistant in a high street retail bank. However, just because someone does not ever make Branch Manager or Financial Advisor does not mean that they failed (even if they also hold the professional Chartered Institute of Bankers exams) as they have worked and held down a respectable job and career within itself.

As also previously advised, coming to terms with certain things and not perpetually banging one's head against a continuous brick wall, facing a total career impasse and  receiving constant rejection emails from applications and interviews is the best way forward for one's psychological well being, feeling of self-esteem, self worth and general mental health. I can still be an Associate Member of the body with the CIPD 7 whilst working as an HR Administrator, and if I can't or don't have what it takes to get to the next level, I however have an HR job and career at least. I do not consider myself to be 'under employed' and in this day and age with mass higher education but very few jobs to go around with an average 250 candidates per vacancy, who is really in a job where their education and experience really match on the same level? Many graduates work in school leaver roles as well.       

Any final comments or thoughts anyone wishes to add here?

Essentially, what I am saying is that I have now accepted the reality at 45 of being permanently an HR Administrator and making that my long term HR career and role whilst doing further studies and even a PhD in HR. If people come and ask me the immediate question of why are you working on X level but studying Z level, I will just be completely open and honest with them and say because I simply can't get an X level job. If you can't get it, you can't get it. 

In reply to Sam:

One doesn't also want a too difficult nor a demanding job that they are going to constantly struggle at and go home each evening and weekend with performance management and capability issues on the mind. Perhaps in my case at least it is best to stay on the more junior levels of HR. Otherwise, you tend to be always thinking about work outside of work and worrying that you are going to lose your job if you can't meet the standard as the role is too difficult for you. That is not healthy either.

In reply to Andre:

If you have found a balance that keeps you satisfied and happy and that works emotionally and financially for well then I wish you all the best. Good luck.

In reply to Keith:

Realistically and living in the real world now with my head firmly on the ground, its both the best and all that I can get. Joining the profession at a later than average stage and now at 45, even if I have another four decades and can take it into my mid 80s, I am still far more unlikely than likely to become an HR Advisor, HRBP or an HRD. I joined too late, don't have the experience, cannot get the experience, so have found that the key to contentment in life is making the most of what you do have and not comparing yourself to other people. Once one accepts that its not going to happen in practice, that then also opens up new possibilities. Drop it, let it go and move on.  

Otherwise, it can turn into a lifelong obsession that is not conductive to one's mental health and general state of mind.   

In reply to Keith:

With the benefit of hindsight, although one can't clearly force a job or an organisation to take them on if they do not wish to, if one constantly struggles and finds it impossible to progress, but their peers don't, it that a possible indicator that they are in the wrong profession and / or have chosen the wrong field or work?

Naturally one can do many different types of jobs, but some jobs can be more suitable and a better match than others.

In reply to Keith:

With the benefit of hindsight, although one can't clearly force a job or an organisation to take them on if they do not wish to, if one constantly struggles and finds it impossible to progress, but their peers don't, it that a possible indicator that they are in the wrong profession and / or have chosen the wrong field or work?

Naturally one can do many different types of jobs, but some jobs can be more suitable and a better match than others.

What I am basically saying here in a very fine nutshell is that I cannot get a job, and the advice given, although excellent, still hasn't worked in terms of delivering one.

In reply to Andre:

Andre said:

if one constantly struggles and finds it impossible to progress, but their peers don't, it that a possible indicator that they are in the wrong profession and / or have chosen the wrong field or work?

That is certainly one of the conclusions that could reasonably be drawn from that situation.

In reply to Keith:

The problem is however that no other profession is suddenly going to take me at 45 with no prior experience or on a graduate entry programme. That is living in the real world.

I also can’t give up work or risk spending thousands of pounds and several years on now doing new and more professional qualifications in a different profession to end up at 50 and subsequently find out that I can’t break into that either as they either don’t hire people without experience or at entry leave at that stage of a career.

HR it therefore is.

Marketing, Journalism, Media, Advertising etc are not options and may be even more difficult.