Hello Everyone,
I am looking at renewing my CIPD Asssiocate Membership but I have struggled getting an HR role which I have tried since leaving university back in 2018.
I have mostly worked in care and at the moment, my new role is Learning Support with young adults with learning disabilities. I am now thinking should I cancel my CIPD, I never imagined the difficulties establishing a career within HR - even HR assistant jobs ask for a few years experience.
Hi Rachel... and welcome.
I think Keith has done a better job than I could've done to respond to your question.
I'd stress that this Community is just one of many member benefits, but ultimately it is up to every individual to decide.
Steve
Hi Rachel, and welcome to the Communities.
I cannot add anything much to what Keith has already said. CIPD membership is certainly not a cheap commitment if you are not making use of it, however it does give you access to both the best and latest information on HR practice, and can be (not least through this Community) a source of support and practical guidance. It also establishes your credibility as an HR practitioner whenever that is needed; not just when applying for jobs.
The issue of "how to get into HR" has been (and is currently being) discussed many times on this site and there are no easy answers, other then to say that neither academic qualifications, CIPD membership equivalent-levels, nor past work-history alone is enough; not least as many employers are still mystified by (not to say disinterested in) what HR qualifications really mean, so the most important thing when applying for HR jobs is to identify what the employer wants (or thinks they want) and suit your application to that task. (Honestly, of course; I am not suggesting you make anything up). Use your work, and life,-experiences, as well as your Membership, to tick the boxes they want ticked, rather then trying to simply display your abilities overall, levels of academic achievement, or membership, as automatic "pass-keys" to acceptance.
Once you have your feet under the desk, THEN you can start showing how good you really are and what you and HR good-practice can really do to make their workplace more effective and productive....not least through being able to draw on the CIPD resources you are able to access (including all of us, here).
In the role you hold now (somewhat similar to one I held supporting people with Learning Disabilities into "real" work roles in the days before even the Disability Discrimination Act became law), access to CIPD's libraries of information on equality issues, employment law in relation to disability, Health and Safety, and a hundred other associated learning and transition-to-employment or "in education" issues such as the rights to reasonable adjustments and access facilitation could be worth every penny of your membership fee; again, attached to some of the support and guidance to be found within this Community.
So before making any final decisions, my advice would be to look further into what is actually on offer to you as a member, and then make your decision based on both what membership can do (or not do) for you now, and how it can add value to you (from an employer's perspective) if you still want to apply for "pure" HR roles.
Whatever your choice; please accept my best wishes for your future career.
P
