Hi Rebecca, I was in the same situation as yourself and found it quite difficult to secure a hr role due to this, even though we as retail managers are dealing with a range of different hr issues daily. I would suggest doing some volunteering within a HR department. Marie Curie are very supportive if you have a local office near you, I volunteered for six months there and found that when I added this to my CV I was given more interview opportunities.

As the many, many examples of people coming here with an MSc in HRM or Level 7 qualification and asking "How do I get into HR?" illustrate, more training is not the answer. Experience is the answer.

Gareth is right that volunteering is an option if there is a charity with an HR team nearby that has work that could reasonably be done by a volunteer, but that's a lot of "ifs". My own experience has been that the most reliable pathway into HR is through temp roles. These are likely to be entry-level admin jobs - maybe advisor jobs, if you're lucky. But recruiters looking for a temp are less fussy about experience and more forgiving when it comes to only wanting to do a job long enough to pad your CV. Also, if you temp and show yourself to be competent, reliable and professional (which I'm sure you would), you'll find yourself first in the queue should a permanent opportunity arise in the same organization.

It's also a chance to network in local businesses, so never burn bridges after temp contracts are up. Stay in touch with the HR or recruitment team and make sure they know that you're available for more temp or permanent work.