Attempting to break into the HR industry

You will find a host of answers to people with similar queries. But perhaps I could put a question back to you that I often want to ask people in your situation:

What possessed you to pursue a Masters in HRM without having any actual experience in operational HR?

The problem facing you is that you are over-qualified to enter employment at ground level, but under-experienced to enter employment at a management level. The not-unreasonable fear that a recruiter is going to have is that, once you have a little experience, you will abandon your role for a more senior one. Generally, when I'm looking for a new HR Assistant or Administrator, I'm hoping to find someone I can develop over 2-3 years, after which I will wave them on to greater things with a smile. If I thought you were going to dump me in six months with little interest in the development I can offer you, I'd be very unlikely to offer you that entry-level opportunity.

Although I rarely recommend lying on a CV, you may be best off removing your MSc from your CV. Entry-level HR roles don't require any formal qualifications beyond literacy, numeracy and a familiarity with the surface operations of a typical PC.

That said, I held a Level 7 qualification through my military service and it was very hard to find a civilian employer willing to take a risk on my lack of knowledge of the civilian workplace, so I do have some understanding of your position. My solution was to temp. An employer who doesn't expect you to hang around more than 3-6 months to cover a temporary vacancy isn't going to care that you're over-qualified for the job because long-term retention and development isn't a problem. Once you have one or two temp contracts under your belt, people aren't likely to worry too much about how long they were: you've got that foot in the door and, if you find an employer in a similar sector, they will be more open to your application.

You will find a host of answers to people with similar queries. But perhaps I could put a question back to you that I often want to ask people in your situation:

What possessed you to pursue a Masters in HRM without having any actual experience in operational HR?

The problem facing you is that you are over-qualified to enter employment at ground level, but under-experienced to enter employment at a management level. The not-unreasonable fear that a recruiter is going to have is that, once you have a little experience, you will abandon your role for a more senior one. Generally, when I'm looking for a new HR Assistant or Administrator, I'm hoping to find someone I can develop over 2-3 years, after which I will wave them on to greater things with a smile. If I thought you were going to dump me in six months with little interest in the development I can offer you, I'd be very unlikely to offer you that entry-level opportunity.

Although I rarely recommend lying on a CV, you may be best off removing your MSc from your CV. Entry-level HR roles don't require any formal qualifications beyond literacy, numeracy and a familiarity with the surface operations of a typical PC.

That said, I held a Level 7 qualification through my military service and it was very hard to find a civilian employer willing to take a risk on my lack of knowledge of the civilian workplace, so I do have some understanding of your position. My solution was to temp. An employer who doesn't expect you to hang around more than 3-6 months to cover a temporary vacancy isn't going to care that you're over-qualified for the job because long-term retention and development isn't a problem. Once you have one or two temp contracts under your belt, people aren't likely to worry too much about how long they were: you've got that foot in the door and, if you find an employer in a similar sector, they will be more open to your application.