Here are more stories about how people transitioned into a career in Human Resource management.
Wayne Sullivan says:
"More than 20 years ago I was a Civil Engineer and sold in the building materials industry. I was attracted by a recruiter's advertisement and the description of the business seemed to match all my requirements. As it turned out I was unsuccessful but was then asked if I would consider a career in recruitment. So I became apprenticed to Andrew Banks and Geoff Morgan on the basis that I had been reasonably good in my selection of employees over the years. Never looked back."
David Berclaz says:
"Actually, this is my first job in corporate HR. For seven years, I was a recruiter at a staffing company which helped in earning this current position because this is where I met my actual employer. I basically studied international business and then found an internship in HR. You need to have the opportunity to meet a recruiter who believes in, not only your resume, but your personal capacity to quickly learn and adapt. But most importantly, you need to match with your company's vision. You can be graduated from prestigious and recognized HR courses, however if you don't match the company management vision and politics, failure is guaranteed. Finally, when changing fields to HR, it's always worthwhile to try and believe in your strength."
Michelle (Holtman) Cordy says:
"I worked for a company for eight years and decided that I needed a change. I was a Sr. Administrative Assistant with Client Communication and Internet Specialist responsibilities at the time. I saw an internal posting for an HR Coordinator position. I do not have a college degree, any certifications in HR, but something told me to go for it and I did. I landed the job and worked as an HR Coordinator for three years. I then left the HR field to go back to my roots in the Administrative field in a different industry for a change of scenary. After three months, I realized that HR is my niche and I am transitioning back into HR. I agree with the posts, it is all about networking and building relationships and the rest will come at a later time."
Laurie Bartolo, SPHR says:
"I got into the HR field by chance - I was new in town and signed up with a temp agency (had no idea what I wanted to do with my career, but I needed to work). They sent me to a company that needed someone for the marketing department, but when I showed up, they decided to use me in the HR department instead. Three yeeks later, they offered me an entry level HR position, and twelve years later, I'm still in HR.
"Over the years, I've met many HR pros with similar stories who got into the field by chance. While my story involved serendipity, I agree with many of the other posters that networking is the key - you've got to meet and get in front of the HR leaders who can create that chance for you. Be prepared to talk about how your skills will transfer and be sure you can demonstrate that you have a good understanding of what HR does. Keep in mind that HR is a complex and often difficult line of work, and the reality of working in HR can be very different from a hopeful career changer's perception."
John Hohulin says:
"I started off my career as a special ed teacher (five years), then transitioned into a retail trainer position (sure paid better!), then when the HR Manager quit, they asked me if I wanted to be the new HR Manager. Seventeen years later, I got my SPHR to both enhance my knowledge and make my resume more marketable."
S. Alicia Seecharan says:
"I gained a lot of experience in Marketing Communications Management and decided to complete my education. Graduating with a Bachelors in Organizational Management and Masters in Organizational Leadership, I qualify for C-Level Management and Change Management opportunities.
"Then, I network. And people constantly ask me about my Human Resources experience and they don't know of any HR Director opportunities. Well, I'm still on the career hunt. I see it this way, should the opportunity to become and HR Professional arise, it would be due to others seeing the transition for me. Skills, abilities and education seem to always become transferable experience into other fields."
Madina Diabaté says:
"I have had a variety of jobs, but always staying within the sales and marketing peripheral, and even opening up my own business in the past (I was a successful restaurateur, with absolutely no background experience in that field, aside from eating out a lot.) I landed my first job in recruitment this year. In a matter of a few months, I was able to understand the true meaning of what it takes to be proficient at this job and how to be a great recruiter. I strongly believe that my interpersonal skills and my capacity of adapting quickly to any job thrown at me made this transition from sales to recruitment easy. My strong customer service background and excellent communication and listening skills helped me with that.
My need to build long standing relationships with my candidates is key to this job -- sales helped me understand the importance of thorough follow up with clients and candidates equally. The candidate is the person I want to impress the most and more importantly gain their trust, since this newfound career can land me other opportunities in the future. I’m making sure that my good name and word-of- mouth reputation follow me to the end of times. I do not have any HR certification or background, but I do have the skills to have someone believe in me. I back up that belief by delivering the goods in each career I have had. I also made sure to utilize LinkedIn in all its capacity to make myself a name in this industry."
Read more stories about people who transitioned into Human Resource management.
