Working in HR? If you could start again, would you?

I had HR forced upon me - having done 2 years of secretarial training and then working my way up to a PA to the MD role, whilst studying for an archaeology degree. My boss told me at the time to ditch archaeology for accountancy which I was quite offended by. Once I finished my degree, he gave me a choice between HR and redundancy. My quite reasonable objection that I knew absolutely nothing about HR did not appear to deter him ("there's nothing to it, you'll be fine"). About 3 hours hours into my new career, the MD of another group company walked into my office and asked me what to do with a sales manager who drank on the job. I said "let me get back to you on that" and managed not to visibly panic until he had left the office - whereupon I called a friend who was a lawyer to ask him to ask one of his employment colleagues what the ... I was supposed to say/do.

So it did not take me long to realise that I was ever so slightly out of my depth and needed to get up to speed, pronto. So another period of part-time study ensued. I learned on the job, without ever having another HR bod to report into, learn from, or share with, which I still massively regret. I got pigeon-holed into a standalone role, but would have loved to work as part of a team.

So this is now my third career/ training and I do enjoy it but would not have chosen it. Truth be told I'd be happier in a muddy field with a trowel. I will probably do that when I win the lottery.

Hi Anka
Knowing what you don’t know is an excellent way of learning. It’s the people who don’t recognise what they don’t know that are dangerous, like your MD who said there’s nothing to HR!

Hi Anka
Knowing what you don’t know is an excellent way of learning. It’s the people who don’t recognise what they don’t know that are dangerous, like your MD who said there’s nothing to HR!