In reply to Andre:

* I do not think that I choose the wrong profession here or that I am necessarily unsuited to this profession. It’s that I got into it at least 10-15 years later then the average member and that factor and timescale is having an impact here as rightly or wrongly, there are expectations of what job role level you should be on at a certain age. *

45 is 45 to be an HR Administrator with a Level 7. It is what it is and other people’s journeys started earlier than mine.

In reply to Andre:

On a separate note here as we have a presence in the Middle East and Asia Pacific, how easy or difficult would it generally be to land a role in HR in Dubai or Singapore, as I can’t get anything and nothing comes here at home?

That would be another option I would be willing to explore in an attempt to break this impasse.

Very finally to add, I have neurodiversity or mild Autism which has been attributed in the past as either being a common denominator, recurring theme or which can add an additional spike and complication to the recruitment and selection process, when being compared and assessed against other candidates who do not.

In short, my mind works in a different way and I do not automatically pick up on the more hidden and unwritten social rules, norms and subtleties of human interaction and behaviour. Things can be be obvious to some are not always obvious to myself. 

In reply to Andre:

Hi Andre, I have been interested in your thread and in the useful and the sympathetically direct advice you have been given. Have you tried reaching out to some of the Autism organisations, asking if they have any HRBP type roles available? I mention it because they will undoubtedly be exceptionally warm to the benefits that your mild condition brings. Also you might consider elaborating in your CV on the soft skills which many other applicants might lack. For example, I expect your higher degree of emotional intelligence might be something that other applicants might lack a little, since I’d imagine emotional intelligence is likely more natural to those with autism. You may also be more exceptional at following process to the letter, so long as you know when it’s right to break from process. Perhaps you are better at giving direct feedback? Think about what soft skills set you above other candidates, and think less about the reasons why you probably aren’t getting the role. This helps your applications to have a positive feel, which is what employers want to see.

In reply to Angela:

Hi Angela,

Many thinks for your suggestions and I shall apply and carry them out in full.

Having now had the time to reflect in full on 2018 and what did and did not happen, I have adopted a policy strategic withdrawal that I am just going to focus wholly on doing more studies over the next few years, get more time served experience in my present role as an HR Administrator and see where I am again in 24 months time.

It may well have been a question that currently is not my time, but I learned the following and very important lessons in 2018 in terms of why is it that you try everything but just can’t get work / the job:

(1) It has never been easy to get a job or jobs per se. although we are in times of low unemployment, you are still never the only candidate who applies and also has to fiercely compete with several others;

(2) Organisations are very careful and selective who they take. Nine times out of ten they want the exact matching, fitting and indentical experience or are essentially looking for the entire package to that measured against the essentials and desirables on a person specification;

(3) If they don’t immediately get or find the above, they rather leave the vacancy open and look again rather then talking a chance on and training someone up with determination, enthusiasm and potential, or then bringing in someone from outside the EU / EEA by visa sponsorship.

In short, they are just out to get the very best of the best onboard in terms of people.

(4) It’s also exactly the same case all over the world. I would face similar issues in Ireland, France, Benelux, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Malta, Baltic States, Russia, Canada, USA, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Singapore and Hong Kong, as I have also tried for more advanced level HR roles there.

This is in addition to nationwide all over the UK.

(5) The one click easy apply option with the tap of the button and sending your attached CV in LinkedIn, Reed et al does not work or deliver a job;

(6) Agencies and Recruiters are not much help either, as being a sales and highly target driven KPI role, their ultimate loyalty is to the client, their customer, and not the candidate.

So, there we have it in a fine nutshell and after having done 65,500 LinkedIn easy apply worldwide over the past four years, I am going to give it up and just do studies on the side of my full time HR Administrator role.

I have exhausted all options, I have the job I have as its entry level willing to train in the NHS and not demanding too much previous experience and there we are. I have ‘a job’at least.

What I will however look at this year is not applying for advertised roles but the very fine art of targeted and strategic networking, informational interviews, leads, referrals and direct speculative approaches to see if that wil yield any results.

Very finally, I do have slight Asperger’s Syndrome and Dyspraxia, and volunteer on Friday evenings with Samaritans as a call Listener to help enhance soft, emotional intelligence and empathic skills. That is always an option if a paid HR Advisor role opens up there. 

In addition, I also volunteer as an HR Advisor at the Mormon Church’s self reliance and employment advisory service in London, so have signed up to most things and are ticking all the boxes in that respect.

This year, I shall also strive to get my Dutch language skills up to a fluent level and standard which is also a unique selling point and helps me stand out from the wider crowd.

Kind regards

André

In reply to Andre:

I forgot to add Austria and Switzerland where I have also tried and can speak French and German, but it’s all academic in any case.

In reply to Andre:

We sincerely wish you well, André. Good luck with whatever route you choose.

Hi Andre
i can understand your frustration, however their has been some good points on thios thread. I am looking into moving into HR management however my background is an IT Technician, however i have some knowledge of employment law due to be an ex trade union representative. i came across St johns Ambulance volunteer jobs on the PM jobs page in Ocotber 2018 and applied for their Voluntary HR Officer and HR Lead i gain an interview which i was glad about, however my fall is in the interviews so this is something i need to work on.

take a look at this as it may be able to give you a route in gain that experience and i work in a college and they are short of teachers for teaching CIPD course as well. I would also like at the councl school website as they are asking for officer managers and school business manger post that require HR managers and some schools are asking for HR managers as well.

Consider school / college governors as this will give you the strategic aspect on CV

all the best
graham

Hi Andre

I think your issue is actually quite common.

There are a lot of interesting opinions and advice here. Are you still employed as an administrator somewhere? Have you had discussions with your manager(s) about getting involved in non admin work? Have you considered project work where you could stretch yourself? Is there a way you could be mentored where you are now to help you build on your skills to help you make the transition into a broader HR role?

In terms of studying I would say a PhD is not necessary unless you really want to pursue the academic route out of personal interest.

If you are not working in HR admin at the moment I would suggest you try to find a role where you could get involved with initiatives outside the admin arena (or that are connected to it).

I have worked overseas on and off for the last 15 years and was originally found by someone on LinkedIn and recruited for my change management experience and my qualifications were not actually that relevant. It came out of the blue so I was lucky there.

Nowadays there are a lot of central services functions around that process the administrative stuff we need to have in organisations but often they also have HR advisors based centrally and working with different parts of the business. Getting in somewhere like that and clearly stating your desire to develop and progress might be an opportunity for you to build on your experience to date.

Certainly discussing what you would like in appraisal and development discussions is an important issue. At the very beginning of my career I worked in finance functions but was studying my IPM diploma as I was interested in HR and worked part-time in a personnel function. At my appraisal I told my manager about my interests and she arranged for me to have a career interview with a senior HR person who assessed me and we worked together to get me a job in personnel as soon as was possible - it was a small personnel team but patience and finishing my diploma all helped.

Try to stay positive and keep going. It's a marathon not a sprint!

I wish you luck.

In reply to Andre:

"Anyone can offer their services to volunteer" Absolute tosh! Makes a mockery of charities that have professional HR volunteers (aka those who do in addition to their full time roles), what about CIPD Enterprise Advisers? I really would like to meet these people with these very strange views!

In reply to Graham:

Just to pick you up on something, it is St John Ambulance not St Johns Ambulance, that is something that really grates with them and is an attention to detail thing that won't do you any favours!

In reply to Paul:

It doesn’t actually work, deliver, match for me or tick any of the boxes in my specific case, per the recent feedback below I obtained from an interview:

‘With regards to your question about the HR Adviser role, the panel would suggest you obtain formal practical experience in a setting where you have accountability to others and are guided by set policies and legislation.’

I am grateful for all your advice here, but I have actually tried it all and it does not work for me. Maybe it works for other people because they like them, do not find them different (I have neurodiversity) or a possible personality clash, but in my case it does not work.

A lot of it also comes down to whether or not your face fits, are you perceived as one of them or more as an outsider, and do you fit the typical employee stereotype and profile.

But ultimately, you can’t force a job even if you are the best candidate. It’s a collective management decision and they decide who they employ and reject. 

In reply to Andre:

Do they want you on the team is the acid test that determines hiring decisions.

In reply to Andre:

Hi Andre

What are you looking for from this thread? You must have spent hours assuring us again and again at length and in detail that your position is hopeless and rejecting suggestions. What is it you are still looking for that makes you keep coming back?

In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

I am looking for someone to offer me a role. I have carried out all the suggestions offered here in full, but in my case they don’t actually work by delivering an HR Advisor role.

I don’t feel that this is an unreasonable request to make as HR is my profession and I am a member of the HR community and part of the HR family.

When you join a professional body, the fellow members immediately by extension and default become your very own professional people and counterparts who usually help each other out, just as in my church community with the fellow congregation members there.

In reply to Andre:

That's not the purpose of this forum. As it says at the top of the page, "Join in the discussion with a Community of thousands of HR and L&D Professionals". The forum is not for job hunting but a place where you can discuss job hunting.