Career advice - General - Careers Clinic

3 Career advice

23 Apr, 2018 12:57

Hello all,

Please can you provide me with some advice and your thoughts re my current career predicament?

I am employed as an HR & Training Officer for a previously-successful not-for-profit. The companies finances are in such a state that there are no funds for L&D and we're not hiring. L&D and recruitment and selection were two major parts of my role, thus my workload dried up to such an extent that I have been temporarily assigned to help out in another part of the business - a 50/50 split now between HR projects and non-HR duties. This is not the way I saw my career going, though I understand the business' decision to want to utilise me elsewhere.

I have only been in this role for 8 months, and recently successfully completed my Level 5 Certificate in HRM. I have previous experience as HR Advisor at Aviva.

So, my question is, should I start looking for another HR role - to then inevitably face questions from potential employers as to why I am leaving this role so soon - or, stay put in case my current employer's finances improve and I can resume my HR practice full-time?

Thank you,

Andrew Bartram

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Ginnie | 0 Posts

23 Apr, 2018 13:45

Hi Andrew,

Not knowing your career history prior to this 8 months, I would hesitate in another move if you had a short tenure in your previous role(s). Hirers like to see to stability on a CV.

But assumming this isn't the case, on balance, my gut feel would steer me towards exploring other opportunities. You have a very reasonable explanation as to why you have only been with this company for a short time and any decent Employer would recongise this. It also demonstrates your genuine interest in progressing a career in HR (and it's not like you are leaving for more dubious reasons). Better to be moving on your career, applying your Level 5 learning and continuing to grow and gain stretch, particularly at this stage of your career, than sitting stagnant and ever more frustrated in your current position.

Hope that helps.
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Andrew | 0 Posts

23 Apr, 2018 14:37

In reply to Ginnie:
Thank you for your advice, Ginnie, I appreciate it.

To address one of your points, my previous role was an L&D Advisor for Kier, for seven years. Though I evidently enjoyed the role, I decided to take responsibility for my development and self-funded my CIPD qualification. Following Kier's decision to shut their site in Trowse, my role was made redundant, and a couple of weeks later I was offered my current role - which so far I have very much enjoyed.
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Harvey Bennett | 0 Posts

23 Apr, 2018 15:01

In reply to Andrew:
Hi Andrew,

My perspective is that having the opportunity to undertake meaningful projects outside of HR is a great developmental opportunity. I did a couple of summertime 3 month projects (slack periods for me when working in mana net L&D) and these enhanced my CV when I later looked around for other opportunities.

One project was in a pipe-manufacturing environment, establishing 'the cost of quality' and working closely with the production and QA teams to identify improvement actions. The second project was working in another manufacturing site, working with all the production departments to formalise their training processes to meet that industry's Training Board standards and to take advantage of grant subsidies/reduce levies.

If you can identify "meaty" projects where you can play a leading role, you can show that you can add value to the business and make yourself even more marketable.
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