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

Great thread! I stumbled across HR too. I left school at 16 not knowing what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to work rather than go to college or university. My first job out of school was a clerical assistant at the local council and I continued with admin type roles for a few years. Moved to the private sector in 2008 as a receptionist in the company I work for now, when my then manager approached me a year into the job and said "we have money left in the budget, would you like to do your CIPD level 3" and the rest is history, I'm now working towards my CIPD level 7 (second year) and have moved up into HR Advisor, so you could say that I became hooked :)

I have definitely had some challenges while working in HR but that's what I love about my job, no two days are the same. I've met some lovely people along the way. Would I have chosen HR leaving school at 16? Yes if I knew then how fascinating it would be, but I certainly don't remember the careers advisor at school recommending roles like this and when you're 16 who really knows what they want to do.

Great thread! I stumbled across HR too. I left school at 16 not knowing what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to work rather than go to college or university. My first job out of school was a clerical assistant at the local council and I continued with admin type roles for a few years. Moved to the private sector in 2008 as a receptionist in the company I work for now, when my then manager approached me a year into the job and said "we have money left in the budget, would you like to do your CIPD level 3" and the rest is history, I'm now working towards my CIPD level 7 (second year) and have moved up into HR Advisor, so you could say that I became hooked :)

I have definitely had some challenges while working in HR but that's what I love about my job, no two days are the same. I've met some lovely people along the way. Would I have chosen HR leaving school at 16? Yes if I knew then how fascinating it would be, but I certainly don't remember the careers advisor at school recommending roles like this and when you're 16 who really knows what they want to do.

Hi Samantha, I too wish that I had known about HR at school. Two years ago I got back in touch with one of my best friends at school and guess What? - she too works in HR as a HR manager and she fell into it too. So maybe there are certain types of people who get drawn towards this profession despite the lack of direction from the educational establishments. You have to be a People person and genuinely like people to be able to do this job. Had I not been a People Manager I might have been a teacher, lawyer or a Forensic Anthropologist. Reminiscing aside two years ago I tried desperately to offer a HR placement to a HR student in my HR team- I tried the CIPD, colleges and Universities but kept coming up against major obstacles and I had to give up. There appears to be a disconnect between people who want to enter our profession and the channels they can use to be able to do so even when they have taken to trouble to study. Maybe I am wrong but all your stories seem to be one where someone gave you a chance to come into the profession. After I went to the GLC had my manager not promoted me at 21 and given me my own section to run in HR I probably would not be writing this post.

There is a element of my job that feels like 'forensic anthropology' ;)

I left school with one GCE and only intended to join the RN as a radio operator.  Which I did.  

I travelled the world, spent my 18th birthday on a remote tropical island beach, with two armed guards at either end in case of sharks.  On one ship we visited two Japanese ports, the first allied ships to visit since WWII.s  I visited the worlds most remote inhabited island and I served with a guy who'd been torpedoed twice in succession in the war and another who'd been captured by the Japanese.  

I've been a scaffolder - which I hated.  But that took me offshore and to the remote Shetland Isles where I spent an interesting 3 years.  And I later bought my 1st house for cash.

I was an outdoor/life-skills tutor and worked with disadvantaged young people and this meant many days and starry nights out on hills in variety of weather conditions and multi day/night canoeing expeditions.  I'm a qualified Mountain Leader and hold a number of canoeing qualifications. I've canoed in the most remote, uninhabited eco-system on earth - the Barren Lands in Northern Territories in Canada.  I've competed against Cree indians in their annual games, and made friends with Cree hunters  who have spent their entire lives living off the land in roadless forests of the far north.  I've spent many, many nights living in Igloos and gazing at the Northern Lights.

I've also been a Tour Guide and worked for commercial expedition companies.  I've lead brain surgeons, atomic scientists, members of foreign governments and many others on expeditions, and once lead a husband & wife on a walk of a couple of miles near my village. The couple were major UK  terrorist targets and I was joined by four well armed royal protection police (machine guns, pistols & grenades).  And afterwards we all had a tea and coffee in our house - and I had a 'tour' of the three armoured Mercedes cars.

I spent ten years in Eire, where I learned to milk cows, farm,  make potein,  drive and operate farm machinery,  learned to build houses - and got paid to lead long distance walks in the most incredible  locations.  I also became a drystone waller & hedgelayer and got asked to go to Holland as a representative of Eire to teach/demonstrate  hedgelaying. I also became an English language teacher and taught English to many asylum seekers from the Balkan wars,  One couple we taught became very special friends & we've learned their  terrible story.

We  lived next to a self confessed murderer.  And if anyone in Eire wanted to know where we lived we just told them who our neighbour was!.   I was interviewed about him on TV, and spoke on on Irish radio too, in spite of threats from his lawyers!.

Oh, I mustn't forget that somewhere amongst all this I went  to uni as a mature student &  became an management trainer, then HR manager - wouldn't have missed that experience either.  

But would I choose it as a career?  Not a chance - because if I had, I'd have never had the wonderful experiences I have had, nor met some of the amazing folks I did- and you can't buy those experiences!