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

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.