Making the move from teaching to HR- seemingly impossible

Hi Alana

Welcome to the communities

If you use the search facilities you will find a number of similar threads where people have found it difficult to transition into HR from teaching. Theres this one on transitioning back or this one as a career change or in a similar vein this one but there are several others 

generally HR is quite tough to get into and there are many threads not linked to teaching such as this one

Personally I don't think doing a masters in International HR will help you get into HR as it may well confuse some recruiters and make it harder to gain the first position. But sure there are other views on that 

Recruitment agency work is largely sales driven and doesnt always have the best reputation in HR. Some people find a route into HR from it but its not necessarily the best route.

Transitioning into L&D may well be a good route.

Good luck hope you find your ideal starting role

I made the transition from working in education into an L&D role, so if you're interested in L&D that might be a more lucrative focus for you in the short term

Hi Alana

I dont have any real advise as such, only to keep going with the applications as I too had no previous HR experience only general admin and call centre work. However, by chance i found my current employer who they were wanting someone to start with the admin and work my way up. I have now just completed my CIPD level 3 and going onto my level 5 next September.

Sorry I couldn't be of any help, but stick with the applications as there are employers out there wanting people to train there way :)

Hi Alana
There is lots of competition for those entry level HR jobs but no reason you shouldn't be able to get one. To answer your questions one by one:
1) Yes, contact employers and apply for HR admin roles directly. I see lots of vacancies so you need to look at your CV to find out why you aren't getting the interviews. Are you making it clear you are a career changer so happy to drop down a few levels to establish yourself? Are you making the most of actual admin skills (capabilities in Word, Excel etc, ability to learn new systems, prioritisation, communication, attention to detail and 'customer' skills are all basic requirements). I would mention in your personal statement that to prepare for your new career you have been researching employment law and taking short HR courses, but not actually list the courses under training and qualifications UNLESS they are the free ACAS e-learning courses (most cheap/free HR courses aren't worth the paper they are written on). IF you haven't done the ACAS courses - do them. Also general locally-focused recruitment agencies often get HR admin jobs where they will place general admin people - it's a common route in, so maybe consider getting general admin temping experience first.
2). no, don't do a Masters. I meet a lot of degree holders wanting to enter HR who think obviously they should do a post-grad as a way in. It won't help you at this stage and may even put employers off. HR is a very practical field, lots of knowledge and skills to acquire that you won't get on a Masters, which focus usually on the high level strategic stuff. Consider doing the CIPD Level 3 - working towards this will make you so much more appealing to employers. There is an L&D version.
3) working in a recruitment agency very occasionally leads to in-house recruitment roles, but without general HR experience you'd be stuck with that.
4) CIPD Level 3 L&D course

Were you able to step right into L&D from education easily?

This is promising! :) Who did you do your CIPD level 3 with? Would you recommend them?

Thank you for the detailed reply. Just registered an ACAS course. Had never heard of this before so thank you for the recommendation!

I am advertising all of those skills in my cover letters. I was advised recently by a recruiter that HR hiring managers are not giving my CV the time of day because it is full of teaching experience. So I guess I need to keep trying for an entry level role in the hopes that I come across an employer who will take a chance.

Thanks for your reply. Will definitely seek out those L&D roles. And thank you for making me see sense before registering for the masters...

I too am struggling to find a role with Level 5 CIPD and several years of experience in general HR. I recently had a recruitment consultant offer me a role where my skills and knowledge of right to work was the only thing that met the job role and that I would "have to be thick skinned as the owner held old fashioned views" needless to say I didn't take him up. Also I have discovered that at one company the HR Director joked "you have more experience and qualifications than me!". I am just trying every Avenue to be honest. There is a role out there, I just need to find it.

Fairly easily, yes, but I think a lot of that was probably luck! The company I'm working for as an L&D Manager hadn't had a dedicated L&D person before so it was a brand new role, and they were really looking for someone to develop the apprenticeship programme, so I emphasised my ability to work with young people and my understanding of the education system as benefits in terms of apprenticeships. I also do a lot of CSR work in the community in local schools through the Careers & Enterprise Company as part of my role, and my education background definitely helps with all of that.