When networking I find that a lot of HR practioners "fell into" their HR careers.
I myself decided at age 17 that I wanted to do a BA in HRM and then I gained experience and went onto do my CIPD.
I'm interested to find out how others got into HR.
When networking I find that a lot of HR practioners "fell into" their HR careers.
I myself decided at age 17 that I wanted to do a BA in HRM and then I gained experience and went onto do my CIPD.
I'm interested to find out how others got into HR.
I guess I fell into it too...although my late mother was a shop steward in the NHS and was always encouraging me to work in 'personnel' as she called it.
What attracted me to my degree in European Business was more the year in France than the career path it provided but it worked out well despite a year in the wilderness following graduation. My first 'proper' job was in small, growing IT company initally as a project coordinator moving into quality management - implementing quality procedures etc. After 2 years in that role, the company was growing rapidly and they needed someone to implement an employee handbook and that's where my HR career started. I loved developing the HR dept and was supported in studying towards my CPP at the same time.
3 years on, I was made redundant from that job after a merger and spent my redundancy payment funding my CIPD studies. I decided to fast track and do the 2 years in one, part time which allowed me to temp in HR roles at the same time - 6 months in manufacturing (a rude awakening after my very pleasant 5 yrs in IT) and 6 months with the police. Fabulous year if not a little challening during the exam fortnight!
Following a false start with a bank, I worked for the water board for 4 years as an employee relations advisor and really learned my stuff. It was a fantastic grounding. I've been a HR Manager in insurance, telecoms and now construction for 5 years now and am still learning!
OccasionallyI hate 'HR' to its core but, happily, the majority of the time I'm so glad I work in a role that provides such variety and the opportunity to move between sectors (well private ones anyway) so easily.
I guess I fell into it too...although my late mother was a shop steward in the NHS and was always encouraging me to work in 'personnel' as she called it.
What attracted me to my degree in European Business was more the year in France than the career path it provided but it worked out well despite a year in the wilderness following graduation. My first 'proper' job was in small, growing IT company initally as a project coordinator moving into quality management - implementing quality procedures etc. After 2 years in that role, the company was growing rapidly and they needed someone to implement an employee handbook and that's where my HR career started. I loved developing the HR dept and was supported in studying towards my CPP at the same time.
3 years on, I was made redundant from that job after a merger and spent my redundancy payment funding my CIPD studies. I decided to fast track and do the 2 years in one, part time which allowed me to temp in HR roles at the same time - 6 months in manufacturing (a rude awakening after my very pleasant 5 yrs in IT) and 6 months with the police. Fabulous year if not a little challening during the exam fortnight!
Following a false start with a bank, I worked for the water board for 4 years as an employee relations advisor and really learned my stuff. It was a fantastic grounding. I've been a HR Manager in insurance, telecoms and now construction for 5 years now and am still learning!
OccasionallyI hate 'HR' to its core but, happily, the majority of the time I'm so glad I work in a role that provides such variety and the opportunity to move between sectors (well private ones anyway) so easily.
