Hi there, I hope that you are all well.

I am looking for a bit of advice on my steps towards a HR career path. Background wise I got an English degree, then spent 5 years in the recruitment industry (I appreciate that this already may put me at a disadvantage in my journey to HR with the negative stigma around agencies) - this has been a mixture of 360 recruitment, sales/account management, temporary staffing placements and then I moved into working closely with HR for permanent senior managerial roles across Europe. I have also done administration, payroll, accounts and have a good knowledge of employment law. 

The past two years I took a step back to be a stay at home parent with my child who is now ready to go to nursery and I wish to finally go on the journey to become a HR professional. This is something I have always wanted to do and a reason I moved away from temporary recruitment into permanent recruitment and payroll/admin roles. Whilst I would love to have a HR administrator role to start with - I am aware that I may need to go for another administration type role first or even an internal recruitment role before I could be even considered in a HR role. 

I am planning to self fund my CIPD and get the ball rolling - and originally decided to do my CIPD level 3 - however after speaking with both online providers and two colleges they have all recommended that I go straight for a CIPD level 5. I am unsure if this is the right move. I am very serious about entering the field and know the challenges I may face. 

Would it be better for me to go for the CIPD level 5 or based on my background - start with CIPD level 3?

Thank you for taking the time to read.