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:

I managed to find my 1st role in HR after leaving uni with a non HR related degree by studying the CPP (now equivalent to Level 3). I started as 'Clerk' , and was then in Assistant roles for about the next 15 years, but as I worked in large Public sector organisations was fortunate enough to be given lots of opportunities for learning and development including shorter term Secondments and Acting ups. I was then able to find a role as Senior HR Assistant as the next step up, which was more recently re-named Advisor to more accurately reflect the duties.

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?

In reply to Keith:

Given that I am 45 next month and work as an HR Administrator, could my age be an issue here, as I only broke into HR at 40 as a mid career changer?

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.

In reply to Andre:

Hi Andre

Your first 2 points apply to everyone in virtually every field. There is no alternative to getting out there and marketing yourself. You have some suggestions in this thread of avenues to explore. The likelihood is that you will need to keep on plugging away at a combination of them before you get an offer. There's nothing any of us can suggest that will guarantee an instant result.

Regarding your undercutting idea, I wouldn't have anyone in my team unless I believed they would do a great job and be a good ambassador for my department. If I didn't think that I wouldn't have them at any price. I cannot say, however, that there isn't anyone who would take you up on this offer. If you try it, I hope you come back and tell us how it works us.

One other suggestion that I don't remember being made yet: have you tried getting onto the books of an agency that specialises in HR roles? That could be a source of helpful feedback and a way to get yourself in front of an interviewer.

In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

I have the ability to get ‘a job’ per se but don’t have the ability to make vertical moves in an organisation. I either don’t know how to do it, or have the ways in me to facilitate it to happen in practice. I can change jobs to the same level, but despite having the CIPD 7, can’t bridge the gap or the disconnect between one level of HR to the other one.

It primarily comes down to being able to show and demonstrate that experience in a full time paid 9-5 which I can’t.

In my role, there is also no scope for ‘acting up’ having rigid job descriptions, professional boundaries and scope of authority.

Given that I will be 45 in a fortnight’s time, let’s do a bit of devil las advocate here and presume that I have missed the boat being a later entrant into HR at the age of 40 and for one reason or not, it’s just not going to happen, ie it’s impossible to get an HR Advisor’s role from that of an HR Administrator , would the following things be likely to assist with a lateral move or forging a new career pathway:

(1) Try to requalify as a Psychologist, specialising in Occupational Psychology;

(2) Take a CIPD 7 in Learning and Development;

(3) Try to requalify as a Solicitor, specialising in Employment Law;

(4) Learn more languages;

(5) Go self employed and overtime use the experience of advising smaller clients on more low level HR matters to become defacto an HR Advisor by default in its own right;

(6) Take the CIM professional exams and try to get into marketing as an alternative to HR.

Any thoughts?

In reply to Andre:

Hi Andre,

I'm not sure being an employment law solicitor or being in marketing is any less competitive. I was initially planning to be a solicitor before I went into HR and studied for a law degree. It's a lot more studying and a lot more competitive than HR.
I think a sideways move into a different HR Administrator role that has more scope for development would be more beneficial than getting more qualifications or moving careers completely.

In reply to Lizzie:

I echo this. I did my graduate diploma in law about 12 years ago, as I was thinking of a move into employment law. I decided during that time that I would prefer to actually see my family sometimes and stayed in HR, but I had no illusions that a break into the law would have been anything other than incredibly hard. On the other hand, it's definitely added value to my HR career - so if you're interested in law as a subject, I certainly gained a lot from the process.

I questioned 3 of the 4 scenarios you have posed when I had been in HR for over 5 years, finishing Level 7 whilst working as an Administrator...

(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;
- If you want to progress, don't move your goal due to setbacks. If you completely stop looking to progress, there will come a time when you question why you didn't pursue. I found the hardest step was the first...sideways or diagonal moves afterwards will be much easier.

(2) Pull completely out of the HR profession as a whole and change career sectors, professions and pathways, starting out again from zero;
- I questioned this (and even applied outside HR, considered Accountancy etc), once my first Advisor post was achieved it justified the study and experience (which I can now see as the reason I succeeded, but at the time felt the same as though it had been for nothing), perseverance is the key again.

(3) Emigrate and see if you can get the role instead in another country in or outside the EU;
- Not something I considered.

(4) Look at going self employed as an HR Consultant on the Peninsula model?
- I started the process to begin a Consultancy (but found it was going to take a lot of resource without knowing it would succeed), but daily contracting could work. It is a competitive market, Consultants here will vouch for the rewards. If it is your goal, do it...if it is a fall-back option (which I saw it) then I would reconsider as setting up your own business will take so much time and effort.

Good luck whichever path you choose!

Hi Andrea

I see what you mean and agree with you on many points. However, I would suggest changing your employers...go for an HR Admin post in a smaller organisation that rewards hardwork with some form of career development. Set yourself a goal...in a year, HR Assistant, in two years HR Coordinator then HR Advisor.
It might take some humbling but hopefully the finding the right organisation will set you on course.

In reply to Cynthia:

Dear Cynthia et al,

I have made a final decision here. I am going to pull out of and completely leave the profession. I broke into HR later than the average in my early 40s, are 45 on Sunday and also now find the added situation that I ‘simply can’t get’ other work or other jobs in it at all etc. It’s like a complete meltdown.The reason of course is that I can’t get the experience, but despite having the Level 7, Associate Membership and an advanced degree, I can only get HR Administrator jobs in the NHS, can’t get above that level and also can’t get into the private sector. I have also made over the past theee years 63,000 job applications in total worldwide on LinkedIn with the click of the profile button, but the ones who do respond say that other candidate’s experience is both more relevant to our business needs and better matches the requirements of the position.

Why indefinitely flog a dead horse or bang your head against a brick wall. It is actually ‘impossible’ in my case to both move or get anywhere in or with this profession. Perhaps I entered it too late at 40.

So, the question I now need to ask is that how easy or difficult will it be to embark on a career sector change in my mid 40s and break into marketing from HR with no previous marketing experience, even if I take the CIM exams along the way?

Kind regards

André

In reply to Andre:

Good luck.


Linked in applications are a notoriously poor way to apply. I do think as I said before one of the keys is your application style and technique and you should look st this as you embark on a marketing career.

I fear that if you find HR a career that doesn’t give opportunities to late transferrees then you will find marketing far worst.

But I genuinely wish you luck. I hope you find the job satisfaction and opportunities you seek.