Getting back to the HR world - Working in HR - Careers Clinic

15 Getting back to the HR world

16 Jan, 2022 15:59

Hi all, Just to introduce myself to this community. Due to various circumstances I have not been able to practice the HR I studied back in 2010. I am back now and re-joined CIPD and a lot seems to have changed. Glad to see there is a learning hub and will make the most of it. Happy to say I have a job now as a HR Associate Partner, however when searching for jobs I now see so much HR job titles. Is there a particular HR growth structure one can aim for? And any advice on building my career in HR will be great and is more than welcome. Looking forward to connecting with as many as I can. Thank you!

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Clare | 0 Posts

16 Jan, 2022 17:19

Hi and welcome to the communities. Congratulations on your current job role. I can't offer any specific advice but wondered if you had seen the Career section of the CIPD website as this may offer some suitable advice while you wait to hear from other community members. Link is: https://www.cipd.co.uk/careers
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Eyitoyosi Onadipe | 0 Posts

16 Jan, 2022 20:34

Thank you very much Clare. Will definitely take a look at it.
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Robey | 0 Posts

17 Jan, 2022 09:06

The traditional pattern is Administrator -> Advisor -> Manager -> Director.

There is a well-established parallel path that goes Advisor -> Business Partner -> Consultant, in which the job of actually managing a team is side-stepped with a focus on coaching. Many HR professionals will shift between paths as they go along.

But people do like to mess with the formula and invent new job titles (like "Associate Partner" - I have no idea what that means) or sticking a title on a role that doesn't describe the actual job (like calling someone an "HR Manager" when they have no team to manage, or an "HR Business Partner" but giving them a team to manage).

When job hunting, it's often worth asking recruiters to explain where they think a job sits on this continuum although, to be fair, you can often work it out by just looking at the salary and the first three lines of the job description.

Generally, an HR Administrator will have or be working towards a Level 3, an Advisor will have or be working towards a Level 5. At HRBP or Manager level you should have a Level 7 and have or be working towards Chartered status. Beyond that, some roles will expect an MA or MBA or similar, but it mostly becomes QBE (and QBWYK) once you're heading to Director level roles.
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Steve Bridger | 0 Posts

Community Manager

17 Jan, 2022 09:51

You are a very welcome new member of this Community, Eyitoyosi.
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Johanna | 0 Posts

CIPD Staff

17 Jan, 2022 14:10

Hi Eyitoyosi, welcome to the Community - you may also like to browse through the Profession Map, as it says: 'The Profession Map sets the international benchmark for the people profession. Use it to make better decisions, act with confidence, perform at your peak, drive change in your organisation and progress in your career...' peopleprofession.cipd.org/profession-map.
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Eyitoyosi Onadipe | 0 Posts

17 Jan, 2022 17:39

Thank you very much
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Eyitoyosi Onadipe | 0 Posts

17 Jan, 2022 17:43

Hi Johanna. Great advise, was just having a looking at it. thank you very much.
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Eyitoyosi Onadipe | 0 Posts

17 Jan, 2022 17:48

Hi Robey! thank you for stating the traditional pattern which was what I was aware of till is saw and got involved with a title like "Associate Partner " like you said. Having said that, you have made it clearer for me and I appreciate that. Now when searching searching jobs I have a better idea of what is being put out there. Cheers.
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Steve Bridger | 0 Posts

Community Manager

18 Jan, 2022 12:54

In reply to Johanna:

Also signposting this related current thread.
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Anthony Constantinou | 0 Posts

2 Feb, 2022 14:48

In reply to Steve Bridger:
I found this community very helpful and understanding. Great people great work
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Blessing Skermer | 0 Posts

21 Feb, 2022 17:35

Welcome Eyitoyosi,

I also just returned to CIPD last year. One thing that helped to cope with the changes and got myself up to speed is getting a mentor. Maybe someone in your organisation that will be willing to mentor you and help you understand some of recent changes in the HR profession. With this you could work out where your current job role fits in the professional map. Also check out the CPD Map, use the self assessment tool to identify your strengths and areas for development.
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Elena | 0 Posts

20 Apr, 2022 09:27

In reply to Blessing Skermer:
Hello Eyitoyosi,
Well done on your new role! I am currently on a career break and it was lovely to read this thread and the support we have. I became so busy in my previous role I slowly pulled away from this community. There does seem to be many new titles and the advice on here is great to get you started. The best title I have seen so far was 'Chief Magic Officer'! I will now refer back to the professional map too as mentioned above.
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Gemma | 0 Posts

20 Apr, 2022 21:53

Hello and Welcome from someone who has never had a traditional HR role or title. It can get a little confusing and the best you can do is to ask what it means to that company. I am currently in a People Operations role and this focuses on people and culture above disciplinaries, absence management, performance management etc.
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Genevieve | 0 Posts

25 Apr, 2022 13:07

In reply to Blessing Skermer:
Hi Eyitoyosi, your CIPD local branch might have a mentoring scheme. The South Yorkshire branch does and I would certainly recommend it.
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Lesley | 0 Posts

22 Jul, 2022 13:23

Hello and welcome! I've noticed a shift away from HR / Human Resources in job titles to using terms like 'people and organisation', 'people and culture' or just 'people' (followed by advisor / partner manager etc). Personally I've had a non-traditional, non-linear career which has included stints in generalist operational and business partnering roles and in specialist roles in reward, resourcing and transformation. You'll also see all kinds of other specialist roles in the field such as in Inclusion & Diversity, Talent Management, Training/Learning Management, coaching, shared services, employee relations etc etc. As others have said, a mentor could help you figure out where your interests lie and what you're good at so you can pursue a career path where you can excel.
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