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Best Options to find employment within a HR/People position?

Peter M A

Hi All, 

For the past 5 years, I have been part of a recruitment agency, started as a recruitment consultant, but the role turned into more People and Talent for technology startups and scaleups within EMEA and the US. 

My role now includes working with senior stakeholders from Chief Execs to VPs from companies across the globe, defining talent strategies, hiring plans, contract negotiations, reference checks and even some ER cases such as sensitive cases regarding replacement hires, performance related issues for an employee (previous candidate), we persuaded the company to give him a further 3 months due to the complex nature of the role. 

It was from this experience I wanted to get stuck into a more People or HR focused role hence why I have just started my CIPD Level 5 qualification. 

I am finding it so hard to officially move into a role like this whether it be People Advisor, Junior HR Business Partner or something similar. 

Has anyone got any advice on what I should be focused on or where I should be looking?

Very keen to get your thoughts on this. 

Regards

Peter

  • in reply to Matthew

    Thank you Matthew!!. It was incredibly hard. Since I am not English speaker,  it was hard to express myself in an engaging way and connect with the interviewer. I learnt that often preparation was not enough without connection.  Also, when I am nervous, my English gets worse. I had to practice many, many times. 

  • in reply to Michelle Battista

    Thank you Michelle, just a few weeks ago, I shared a post here expressing my frustration about how experience seemed to be valued over qualifications, and how, after nine months, I was starting to lose hope.I couldn't believe. I am so excited to start!

  • in reply to Nina Waters

    It took me ages to pluck up the courage to start connecting with people I hadn't met in person.  However once I did I made sure I put in a note when I did so.

    It's amazing how many people try to connect and then immediately try to sell me something.  An awful lot of the time it has nothing to do with HR in the first place!

  • in reply to Nunzia

    Many congratulations on finding a role, Nunzia!  It must have been so frustrating doing all that work, but glad it's paid off.

  • in reply to Nunzia

    Responding to the point re Linked In here for context - I get a lot of connection requests, largely from people trying to sell me things that they think someone in my role might be responsible for. I would strongly advocate for building a network on Linked In, but be specific if you're connecting with someone you don't know and let them know why you're reaching out to them.

    Please don't just say "I thought it would be good for us to connect", but tell the person why - even if it seems cheeky, I'm much more likely to connect with someone who says "I'm trying to get started in HR and would really appreciate a chat about how to get started in my career" than someone who says (and I quote) Hi Nina, I noticed we both work in the people space — I’m always keen to connect with others who are doing great work in this area. Would love to add you to my network.

    Good luck!

  • in reply to Nunzia

    So pleased to hear this Nunzia, It's great to hear you had success and that your persistence paid off in the end.  Thank you for your post of support and encouragement too, it means a lot to many!

  • I am glad someone has asked this question as I am also struggling with what to do. I have a CIPD level 7 which I received in 2021, but due to childcare I have not worked in the industry, my youngest is now 1 and I am trying to get back out there. However, trying to find work that balances my childcare is a challenge and have no idea where to start. I was hoping to work part-time, from home for now while I take care of my kids but, I am not sure there are many WFH opportunities.
  • in reply to Peter M A

    Peter, I would say don't be put off by FTC contracts. It's a tough market at the moment and FTC can be a great way to get a foothold into an organisation that could turn into a permanent or another long term opportunity. It also allows you to try an organisation for size and culture to see if it's a good fit for you. 

    I certainly wouldn't rule it out although you will continue to need to keep a wider eye on the market should an FTC come to an end and not extend or go perm. Good luck. 

  • Hi Peter,

    How long have you been searching for a new role?

    It took me nine months to land my first HR position, and I had no prior experience despite being CIPD Level 3 qualified. The job market is highly saturated, which made the process even more challenging. At one point, I felt quite desperate—about three weeks before I finally secured my role.

    I also tried reaching out to people on LinkedIn, hoping to build connections, but unfortunately, many didn’t respond. It felt a bit discouraging, especially since HR professionals are expected to be people-oriented.

    What ultimately worked for me was consistency. I checked recruitment websites every single day for nine months. It was exhausting at times, but staying persistent paid off.

    Your opportunity is out there—you just have to keep going. You’ll get there.

  • in reply to Matthew

    It certainly seems that way so far. My biggest problem is I am seeing loads of roles within this field but they are all "Fixed-Term" contracts...need something more stable for now and long term. 

    As for my local CIPD Branch, I will look closely into this and see what happens and certainly let you know how that goes. 

    We can only hope the market changes at some point.