Hi Beth

What a difficult position you are in! I think you need to separate out the two issues. One is that you are not playing to your strengths if you continue with the level 5 course, so if you can change that, I would change it as quickly as possible. The other issue is the difficulty of transitioning to HR. If you search that question in these forums, you will find that this is something that is asked frequently and there is already a lot of good advice for you to find.

Just adding to the good advice above

Experience at the moment is the greatest factor in getting in and on in HR. I know that's unfair, I know that's harsh but no matter what qualifications you have you will find it much harder without experience.

L 3 or L5 would be a Golden Ticket that will rush you to front of queue. So in terms of which qualification do the one you can succeed in best and develop yourself in. That could be either. Generally L3 is good for a general ground. But it does depend on the person and their experience.

As Elizabeth says this is probably one of the main questions asked here so use the search and you will find lots of good practical advise.(And even a few people who have succeeded!)

Hi Beth. I just wanted to give you an idea of what happened to me.

I was a General Manager of a SME business and although not solely responsible for HR (because we had a HR Consultant then), I did learn a huge amount about HR over the 14 years in that role. However, when I called the training company (and in my case it was Home Learning College - who I believed turned into AVADO) to start the ball rolling on obtaining a formal CIPD qualification I honestly thought they would send me straight through to the Level 5 HR Management qualification. However, after asking lots of questions about my knowledge and ability they recommended Level 3. I got over my disappointment quickly and decided that because I hadn't completed any type of studying since I left secondary school in 1989 that I would take their advice.

I have to be honest, I am so glad I did. I obtained the qualification and then 6 months later went on to undertake Level 5. I really believe that I would have failed at Level 5 in the first assignment had I not got into the learning and studying mode of Level 3. It also gave me the underpinning knowledge of HR and I honestly think that it has served me well. As it was I didn't find Level 5 easy - but most definitely it was easier than if I had tried to do that first.

So, in my own experience I feel that it's good to work through the levels. I have a feeling I would have given up before finishing Level 5 if I had chosen to do that first.

Some people on here may find studying really easy and some people in the group that I was in (we formed a whatsapp group and I made some great friends from that) had only just left college or uni so were very much in the studying mode - but most definitely Level 3 then 5 was the best path for me to travel.

Good luck with your decision - if you would like to chat or have someone to help you through then please feel free to contact me.

Nicola

Hi Beth, can't add anything further to Keith's and Elizabeth's comments. Other than to say:
well done for being brave enough to acknowledge a better way to complete your studies, it's really important to preserve your confidence. And as for getting into HR: as you'll see when you search through for historic threads you are not alone. It took a fair amount of effort and determination to get my break but it did happen. So grit your teeth and plough on regardless. You may also like to look at the Career pages on this website for additional support and ideas, link is: https://www.cipd.co.uk/careers.
Plus, as well as visiting forums like this try and get in as much reading as possible. People Management magazine is a good start, and sometimes I keep articles for reference. HR Zone and Personnel Today are also good places to supplement your reading. Wishing you every success with your studies.

Hi Beth,
I hope you're well. In my experience the level of qualification should be at a level you're comfortable with the workload. I did the Level 7 masters course after graduating my undergraduate degree and given my limited experience I was working as a HR Administrator at the time, which meant that my knowledge from a work setting was extremely limited. I overcame this by further research and on some occasions using other business cases studies as opposed to my own experience.

I would recommend (subject to your time as you're studying) volunteering to pick up further HR experiences that may support your CV. Another option may be to consider what roles you have worked in previously and how any of those skills can be transferred to HR. I'm more than happy to look at your CV if that would be helpful.

In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

Many thanks for yours and everybody else's advice. It is much appreciated. Yes, I've decided to change the level of my course and I think it's the right decision for me.

In reply to Keith:

Many thanks for your advice, Keith, and I appreciate your honesty! I'd rather hear the truth from somebody who knows what they're talking about and I think it saves a lot of pain in the long-run. I'm changing my course to level 3 as I think it's the best way forward for me to develop and succeed.

In reply to Nicola Halls:

Thank you so much Nicola for taking the time to give me some invaluable advice and reassurance. Avado also recommended that I do level 3, but I went with ICS Learn who said level 5. I'd like to say that both of them could have been right but it does depend very much on the person, their level of relevant experience and their confidence at academic study. I think it would be good if the training providers gave examples of assignments and also details about the wordcount as I'm sure I would have opted for level 3. I've done a lot of academic study but not for the past decade and I think I would have really struggled with the level 5 workload. I think that you had more relevant experience than me when you started out, although I have spent a lot of time looking at my previous role and relating it to HR in the form of transferable skills. I would really appreciate staying in touch as I feel that I can definitely relate to your previous situation and would be very grateful for your insight and experience.

In reply to Clare:

Many thanks for your reply, Clare. As you said, it's really important to preserve your confidence and also to be honest with yourself and others! I feel much happier now that I've decide to change level. Thanks for the advice to be persistent and positive and to do your research - all taken on-board.

In reply to Laura:

Thank you for sharing your insights, Laura. I completely agree with you about the workload - I think that training providers should give more examples of assignments and word-counts before you sign-up because I didn't really realise what I was letting myself in for. Having looked forward at some of the assignments, I think that I'd have to get rather creative in my response to some of them as I haven't got enough direct HR experience to draw on. I'd rather start with level 3 and keep my confidence intact! Also I haven't done any academic study for a decade so I probably need to build my confidence up there. I have contacted a couple of local volunteer centres re volunteering but nothing as yet. It's not the ideal time to be looking to transition into another career but I know that I am not alone and that a lot of other people are also in a difficult situation. I did have a good, hard look at my previous long-standing role and tried to see it in terms of transferable skills for an entry-level job in HR. I would be thrilled if you could take a look at my CV as there's nothing like somebody who's already been there to give some good, honest advice. I'm really touched that there are so many kind people out there willing to offer help and advice. Many thanks to everyone who's replied.

Hi Beth,

Lots of good advice on here already, and as others have said, this question does come up a lot. I would steer you to looking within academia for your first HR role - the sector based experience that you've built up over your career to date might give you the edge in a selection situation despite the fact that this hasn't been in an HR role. Being good at HR does really need a good understanding of the sector you're working in, and HE has lots of systems, processes, acronyms and quirks that someone with insider knowledge will adapt to quickly. Universities also tend to have quite large HR departments, which might provide opportunities for progression if you are starting at a junior level.

I hope that helps.

Nina

In reply to Laura:

Hi Laura. I'm new to these online forums so not quite sure about online etiquette. Should I share my email address with you and then you can reply and I'll send my CV through? Any feedback and advice would be much appreciated.

In reply to Nicola Halls:

Hi Nicola. I'm new to these forums and so am unsure about online etiquette. Should I share my email with you? Any feedback or advice would be much appreciated. I'm finding that a lack of direct HR experience seems to be my main stumbling block in securing my first role. However, at this time it seems to be really hard for anybody trying to break into a new field.

In reply to Beth:

We prefer people didn't share their email addresses - especially in 'open' groups like this one. I can connect people up if required.

In reply to Beth:

Well done Beth. Glad you made the decision that was right for you. My email address is nicola.halls73@yahoo.co.uk and you are very welcome to keep in touch.