Struggling to break into the HR industry

I think your best bet will be to look for a graduate entry scheme in HR.
The problem you are facing is that you are over-qualified for entry roles (administrator etc) but have no experience to go in at a higher level. Personally I think universities offering HR masters to people with no HR background should be shot - it's mis-selling as it's not going to open the doors for you unless you are very determined and very lucky. Which may sound harsh, but I'm telling you that it's not you personally, it's the situation you were badly advised to get yourself in. It's not impossible - my previous workplace created a graduate entry scheme with one placement in HR, and it went to an HR MA holder without experience, and I know of others who do enter the profession in that way. It's just not the easiest route.

I think your best bet will be to look for a graduate entry scheme in HR.
The problem you are facing is that you are over-qualified for entry roles (administrator etc) but have no experience to go in at a higher level. Personally I think universities offering HR masters to people with no HR background should be shot - it's mis-selling as it's not going to open the doors for you unless you are very determined and very lucky. Which may sound harsh, but I'm telling you that it's not you personally, it's the situation you were badly advised to get yourself in. It's not impossible - my previous workplace created a graduate entry scheme with one placement in HR, and it went to an HR MA holder without experience, and I know of others who do enter the profession in that way. It's just not the easiest route.

Hi Fiona,
Thank you for your response and providing your perspective.
I find that some people who are in these HR jobs barely hold HR qualifications which creates that notion of going to study these qualifications to gain accredited knowledge and land in respective job roles.
It has been a really difficult and admittedly frustrating transitioning period, despite my experience in administration, I cant even land a HR administrative role.
I have researched some HR grad schemes and will continue to do so,
Thank you
Adrienne

I do wish you all the best with this - we need new entrants with real passion - it goes a long way. If you still apply for admin level jobs, play up your general admin experience and make it clear that you are looking for a solid role for 2-3 years to build your practical experience to back up your qualifications.

Thank you very much for your advice :)

Nothing wrong with someone going to university and getting a BSc in HRM and then going on to either an MA/MSc, as long as the student has taken the opportunity to undertake a placement or two, The trick is to get placements arranged in year 2 and when I say placements I don't mean as an HR assistant or HR Administrator. In the past year I have seen a couple of students who have undertaken placements mid-course at HRBP level, that does mean that their four years at university is expanded to six if you include the placement years. I do agree with your sentiment that nobody should be undertaking a Level 7 without any previous experience and if I'm totally honest Level 5 as well.

I think this it what is wrong with the industry. If you shouldn’t take a level 7 without a level 5 in HR why do CIPD accredited MSC except students without a level 5 and charge them almost £10,000 for the course?! If what your saying is correct then CIPD and universities should be held responsible for this. I am currently taking a level 7 without a level 5! Academically it made sense for me to do a masters. Additionally, I have 15 years of senior management experience managing HR for the employees I managed without being a HR practitioner.!! I had also applied for HR roles for a number of years before I started studying and now whilst studying at Level 7 and obtaining distinctions in every module. I have now completely gone off the idea of working in HR.. The industry to me seems completely bias. If your more qualified than a hiring manager they won’t take you on or give you a chance to gain experience because they are worried you will get there job. To me that is discrimination and bias. Everything that HRM preaches about and advises leaders and managers they do not practice when your looking to gain experience within their industry. I will use my Masters now to continue my career in management instead of HR that I had always had a passion for. Recruiters and HR managers are missing out on some fabulous candidates because they have not had an official HR post without recognising that on some companies managers and senior managers do manage HR. To me the industry does not give people a chance everyone is worried you will take their role and no one looks beyond whether or not someone has worked in a HR department or actually has the same skills in a different role .
I give up on the industry. If you look at previous posts people fall into it by mistake with never even having an interest in it. There are many people walking round qualified in HR who can’t get a job and many people working in HR not qualified. This would never happen in medicine or teaching which is why HR is often never taken seriously enough by CEO’s and executives. The industry needs to change you either need to be qualified or you don’t. As for the level 7 you shouldn’t be accepted by CIPD if you should have done a level 5 first!!!!

Hi Natalie

I read Paul's comment slightly differently - he said that people shouldn't undertake a level 7 qualification without some experience and I think he then meant that also people perhaps shouldn't undertake a Level 5 qualification without some experience too, not that they shouldn't undertake a Level 7 qualification without a Level 5 qualification. In the wider context of gaining experience as well as qualifications in HR rather than just gaining qualifications it makes more sense reading that way, I think.

Kind regards

Jackie

Hi Natalie

Sorry you are having difficulties with getting a job in HR and are now disillusioned and frustrated with the industry. Some thought of mine (which are just thoughts)

Universities allow any "qualified" candidates onto degree programs as much because they are businesses needing to increase numbers and earn revenue. I think the individual institutions would take the view that its down to the applicant/student to make a judgement as to the course and if its right for them / their life stage and their future career.

I think the point about gaining experience before doing L7 is more about being able to benefit from the course and being able to relate real life experiences to the academic learning. Rather than any sort of absolute hurdle. I have said on other threads its entirely possible for many people to academically do a L7 course and gain the certificate but that may well not be the best way to get the most out of the course! To get the most out of a L7 (for me) both the academic and the opportunity to practice those skills should go hand in hand - sadly it often doesn't.

I have also commented on other threads that sadly people with A-typical careers do struggle to get into and on in HR. People who move across from other professions (and its often Teaching, Retail Management or Senior Management) do find it very hard to find their first role. Its partly at least because their backgrounds "confuse", in the same way anyone changing career mid path needs to have a strong narrative as to why and how it all fits together. Add that to the massive over supply of candidates and many with both experience and qualifications and I agree many recruiters play safe.I am not sure that's evidence of unfair discrimination but its a moot point.

Personally I really don't think its a case of people not willing to hire good strong candidates as they fear they will be shown up. I think its more often a case of people not hiring very well qualified candidates because the role they are applying for is too junior and they fear they wont stay.

Finally I do not think the reason HR has / doesn't have credibility is to do with the reasons you suggest. Its true there are good HR people and bad HR people. Some in each camp with qualifications and some without. But its about experience, commercial judgement and applied knowledge that tends to mark out the ones with influence over the also rans.

Good luck inn what evber you do next.

I see how you are reading this and yes I did read this differently. I did see another post too within community that suggested that someone would have problems gaining a role within HR if they were qualified in a high level without experience in a HR role. Which I guess I had taken this comment in the same way. However, I do think that possibly gaining too high a qualification is what is restricting both myself and the person whom first asked the question. It seems you will be qualified to the highest level and although you have experience within many HR disciplines and tasks that you would perform within a HR post you are not successful in the application or interview stage because you have never had a role that was named as a HR admin, business partner, advisor or manager even though in many of my senior management roles although it wasn’t my primary role it was often down to myself to manage all People functions. - I have applied for roles for 4 years within HR in within more entry level positions such as Admin, apprenticeships (prior to masters) and not received 1 interview. Within that time I have applied for many other roles in admin, management etc and nearly always gained an interview and had job numerous offers . Almost all HR roles ask for someone that has previously worked in a HR role in any level that you apply for. To me it appears a very unfair industry and one that is confused as to whether or not it’s a qualification you need or experience and if it is experience then it will be a dying industry because everyone has to gain the experience from somewhere. If everyone that ends up in HR ends up within it through default (as to some other posts I have seen mention) it will be an industry where no one has much passion for it. I regret taking this qualification and wish I gone on to study a masters in something that would have been useful for my career to be qualified within. Unfortunately I feel it is not something that will help me any further to be able to move into this industry from senior management roles. I feel I would have been better to have studied Law originally and gone to do a masters within employment law. I am a mature student who works full time and I have many years of management experience of which I will now continue in and put the strengths I feel I had to have worked within a HR role behind me.

Hi

Thanks Keith and I completely understand all of your comments. Universities I understand that they are a business, however I asked many questions regarding my experience and whether or not it would be worth taking this qualification I went back and forth with the university for 3 years before enrolling so it was not a rushed decision. I also spoke and interviewed for a role with CIPD at the same time as considering this training. The lovely lady that interviewed me had done the process in exactly the same way as I have and had also come from the same background as I had. She had success which only confirmed that I should enrol on the course to me at that time. I have seen vast amounts of threads within this community with people stating that they fell into HR through default - working for a company and a post came up or they needed to work within that role at that time. It seems to be a industry that often is not a chosen industry for many. Through my experience I am and have always been passionate about working with people and also have some L&D experience. Additionally I agree that it may not always be unfair discrimination however worrying that someone could take you role because they had a recognised qualification but no experience to me is unfair. This has actually happened to me twice in interviews (not HR interviews). I was told by a person interviewing me that I had too much experience and they couldn’t understand why I would interview for such a role even though I had explained that it was because I was changing industries and understood I would need to start in a different position. This is something you could never prove and the reason why this type of thing will continue.
To another one of your points as to the fear of someone not staying is a risk with any candidate any HR department takes or a senior manager recruits. However if recruiters consider someone’s length of service from previous experience I believe you can tell a lot about the type of person you are hiring and how committed they may be towards a role.
I understand in the current economy it is now harder than ever before to find a new position, however I had been trying for a few years before covid and now understand that unless you know someone to help you network and get your foot in the door your chances are very limited. If I had to advise anyone looking to go into HR as a career I would recommend looking at alternatives because the opportunities as you stated are limited and with the current economy are becoming even more limited than ever before and to me I would tell someone not to only consider HR as a chosen career. It something that o have been trying to work in unsuccessfully for many years now and even though I am enjoying my Masters which is extremely hard whilst working full time it does feel a waste of 2 years and my energies and money could have been used to qualify myself elsewhere.