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Impossible with a capital 'i' to advance in the HR profession?

Andre

You have the CIPD 7, Associate Membership of the body, an MSc in International HRM, are considering a PhD in HR / Occupational Psychology and have four years experience working as an HR Administrator.

However, despite of all of that, you basically still can’t get above HR Administrator level to the next level or get an HR Advisor’s level role.

Part of the issue is that they don’t take on Trainee / Junior HR Advisor’s (or indeed Trainee / Junior HRBP’s) and you can’t get the necessary experience in an HR Administrator’s role to get the HR Advisor’s job.

You volunteer outside hours as an HR Advisor and as a CIPD Mentor, and attend all the events in your branch, but it still does not count or is officially recognised as a formal paid 9-5 role to make the cut.

It’s also one of those scenarios that it just does not ever happen for / to you how many applications you ever make, so are any of the following viable options to take instead:

(1) Come to terms with it and make a life long career as an HR Administrator instead, or as a Senior HR Administrator, aiming to be the very best that you can be at that;

(2) Pull completely out of the HR profession as a whole and change career sectors, professions and pathways, starting out again  from zero;

(3) Emigrate and see if you can get the role instead in another country in or outside the EU;

(4) Look at going self employed as an HR Consultant on the Peninsula model?

How would you personally deal with it if you faced a total brick wall blockage that despite your very best efforts, you just could not vertically progress, get on or up in the HR profession as a whole past HR Administrator?

Parents
  • Another suggestion to add to the mix is to work for a relatively small organisation/not for profit/charity as an HR Administrator. I've certainly taken on several administrators that way who have had far greater opportunities to work at all levels of the HR team, simply because there is more flexibility. It wouldn't change the job title perhaps (or maybe in time because that kind of organisation will often try to recognise someone who goes above and beyond), but it could give valuable experience that you could draw on in future interviews and applications to take the next step up.
  • in reply to Nina Waters
    Many thanks for all your replies, but the key issue here is that when people say try working for XYZ, (1) do they currently have any vacancies that they are presently recruiting for and (2) and most importantly, would they actually take me?

    I can’t get into the private sector and / or break into a private company, and they just all send me rejection emails in return. They say that other candidate’s experience better meets our needs and fits the requirements of the role.

    Strategic networking could be the way forward, but what are all your views on the following tactic to use in an attempt to beat the competition: offer to work for less money and longer hours to break in.

    Thus, if an HR Advisor role is being advertised for £30k for a 35 hour week, tell the employer that I will do it for £20k and for 40 hour’s a week.

    Undercut in a fine nutshell.
  • in reply to Andre
    IMO that offer will be taken up by sharks but not by any reputable organisation.

    It "may" get your foot through the door showing keenness but I certainly wouldn't work for anyone who took me up on the actual offer
  • in reply to Andre
    In addition, would it be easier to get a job in the North West where there is less competition and salaries are lower as they don’t attract the London Weighting Allowance?
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  • in reply to Andre
    That is a complete misconception that there is less competition in the North West. You'll actually find there's just as much competition because although there are less people applying for the roles, there are also far less roles available in the first place. Lower salaries doesn't necessarily mean less competition and employers are not just motivated by salary.