How did you get into HR??

I left school totally clueless about what i wanted to do, initially was going to be a nanny/nursery nurse or work in a carehome.  Fell into floristry (it was the only thing the youth op scheme had at the time)  and when I was getting married a couple of years later got sacked and went to work as Tesco checkout girl.  For the next 10 years I took on several short term temp cleaning and retail jobs and then went back to college to take a secretarial course.   During the course I did work experience in a HR Department and liked it but was an unemployed mother studying business courses for another 5 years until my youngest went to nursery. 

Getting my first real job in my mid-thirties working for a retailer at Heathrow Airport and not getting recognition from my managment team (funny, a lot of people seemed to think I was the shop manager but the company would not promote me beyond supervisor) I was invited to interview by another company and given a hr role.  I enjoyed it so much.  The responsibility for obtaining security passes, creating Personnel Files from scratch and carrying out recruitment.  Last year the company lost the contract with BAA and I was TUPE'd, back to square one, standing on a shop floor bored out of my mind and very depressed. 

My friend asked me to join their team working for a well known grocers which was fun because of the people I worked with but not what I wanted in the long run, as soon as I started I was offered a HR administrator role which I began 4 months ago.  It is very demanding and stimulating. 

I fell into HR and have progressed such a long way in such a short time, I hope to take a course to gain some qualification.

• What do you think HR should be doing to encourage the 'brightest and best' to choose or plan a career in HR?

I think that employers should value  HR graduates more, it is admirable that people choose this profession rather than stumble in as I and some others seem to have done.  Being passionate about making a difference and improving working environments needs to be rewarded more, this is not a job for everybody, you need to be prepared to put the groundwork in and not just in it for the money.  I salute those young adults who know what they want to do because I still have no clue what I want to be when I grow up. LOL

• Some people suggest it's good to have experience outside HR, while others have worked within HR from the start - are there key skills that you need to be successful in the profession?

In my case; empathy and the ability to learn on the job quickly.

• What do you wish you'd known about HR before you joined the profession?

I wish I knew what I was letting myself in for, I am not well renumerated (I earn the least in my company!) I also wish I knew how rewarding it is and how varied my duties are.

I left school totally clueless about what i wanted to do, initially was going to be a nanny/nursery nurse or work in a carehome.  Fell into floristry (it was the only thing the youth op scheme had at the time)  and when I was getting married a couple of years later got sacked and went to work as Tesco checkout girl.  For the next 10 years I took on several short term temp cleaning and retail jobs and then went back to college to take a secretarial course.   During the course I did work experience in a HR Department and liked it but was an unemployed mother studying business courses for another 5 years until my youngest went to nursery. 

Getting my first real job in my mid-thirties working for a retailer at Heathrow Airport and not getting recognition from my managment team (funny, a lot of people seemed to think I was the shop manager but the company would not promote me beyond supervisor) I was invited to interview by another company and given a hr role.  I enjoyed it so much.  The responsibility for obtaining security passes, creating Personnel Files from scratch and carrying out recruitment.  Last year the company lost the contract with BAA and I was TUPE'd, back to square one, standing on a shop floor bored out of my mind and very depressed. 

My friend asked me to join their team working for a well known grocers which was fun because of the people I worked with but not what I wanted in the long run, as soon as I started I was offered a HR administrator role which I began 4 months ago.  It is very demanding and stimulating. 

I fell into HR and have progressed such a long way in such a short time, I hope to take a course to gain some qualification.

• What do you think HR should be doing to encourage the 'brightest and best' to choose or plan a career in HR?

I think that employers should value  HR graduates more, it is admirable that people choose this profession rather than stumble in as I and some others seem to have done.  Being passionate about making a difference and improving working environments needs to be rewarded more, this is not a job for everybody, you need to be prepared to put the groundwork in and not just in it for the money.  I salute those young adults who know what they want to do because I still have no clue what I want to be when I grow up. LOL

• Some people suggest it's good to have experience outside HR, while others have worked within HR from the start - are there key skills that you need to be successful in the profession?

In my case; empathy and the ability to learn on the job quickly.

• What do you wish you'd known about HR before you joined the profession?

I wish I knew what I was letting myself in for, I am not well renumerated (I earn the least in my company!) I also wish I knew how rewarding it is and how varied my duties are.