How did you get into HR??

I kind of planned it...

I knew I wanted to work with people from a young age. My mum was a Psychologist managing a recruitment team in a private company in France (in those days you had to be a Psychologist to do that job - not sure if it's changed) and her job always interested me. Social work also interested me but I was worried that I would struggle to detach myself from it all and decided HR was the next best thing at the time!

I was advised not to go straight to Uni to study Psychology as one is still quite young at 18 to really benefit from it all and that a HND/HNC (or BTS as they are known in France) might give me more practical skills to start with (should I fail at Uni or decided it wasn't for me I could always fall back on that qualification). I chose a BTS Trilingual PA. As part of the course, I had to do a workplacement abroad and chose the UK.

Once my BTS was finished I came to the UK to work (planning to improve my English further and then go to Spain to do the same). I'd only been there a year or so and met my now husband so never got to Spain.

After a year of doing temping admin work, I got a chance to work in admin for a multilingual recruitment agency which I thought was a good way to get some HR/people experience as it was to do with recruitment. They were a small set-up with no HR and I saw a chance to do it for them. I studied for my CPP, created basic policies/procedures etc.

I then moved away to follow my partner's work and after a few temping assignments (HR and others) for 6 months got my real break as an HR assistant in a small Manufacturing company (I knew I wanted manufacturing because I felt it was more hands-on and I wanted to have exposure to Trade Unions). My then manager was selfless in teaching me everything he knew and more (he also encouraged me to start my CIPD), to the point where he left as I could do all his work! I then moved on to a bigger organisation (still manufacturing) to learn different ways of doing HR and I'm due to complete my CIPD in May.

I love every bit of HR from the very operational stuff to the more strategic work. I also get a buzz from working in manufacturing, making things and the straight talking of the shopfloor. Because people are your business, HR really allows you to be involved at all levels and all deparments in the business.

Sorry long post - I guess we all enjoy talking about ourselves!

Marie

I kind of planned it...

I knew I wanted to work with people from a young age. My mum was a Psychologist managing a recruitment team in a private company in France (in those days you had to be a Psychologist to do that job - not sure if it's changed) and her job always interested me. Social work also interested me but I was worried that I would struggle to detach myself from it all and decided HR was the next best thing at the time!

I was advised not to go straight to Uni to study Psychology as one is still quite young at 18 to really benefit from it all and that a HND/HNC (or BTS as they are known in France) might give me more practical skills to start with (should I fail at Uni or decided it wasn't for me I could always fall back on that qualification). I chose a BTS Trilingual PA. As part of the course, I had to do a workplacement abroad and chose the UK.

Once my BTS was finished I came to the UK to work (planning to improve my English further and then go to Spain to do the same). I'd only been there a year or so and met my now husband so never got to Spain.

After a year of doing temping admin work, I got a chance to work in admin for a multilingual recruitment agency which I thought was a good way to get some HR/people experience as it was to do with recruitment. They were a small set-up with no HR and I saw a chance to do it for them. I studied for my CPP, created basic policies/procedures etc.

I then moved away to follow my partner's work and after a few temping assignments (HR and others) for 6 months got my real break as an HR assistant in a small Manufacturing company (I knew I wanted manufacturing because I felt it was more hands-on and I wanted to have exposure to Trade Unions). My then manager was selfless in teaching me everything he knew and more (he also encouraged me to start my CIPD), to the point where he left as I could do all his work! I then moved on to a bigger organisation (still manufacturing) to learn different ways of doing HR and I'm due to complete my CIPD in May.

I love every bit of HR from the very operational stuff to the more strategic work. I also get a buzz from working in manufacturing, making things and the straight talking of the shopfloor. Because people are your business, HR really allows you to be involved at all levels and all deparments in the business.

Sorry long post - I guess we all enjoy talking about ourselves!

Marie