Career change to HR

ohstan

Hi guys,

So I've been considering a career change for a year or two by now.

My background is in Nursing, I have a BSc, PG Dip and MSc in the area but have become increasingly frustrated with the poor working conditions, long hours and poor pay associated with working in the public health service. I'm currently working in an educational role that suits me fine for the moment but it's a very stuffy atmosphere and I'm finding being the only guy on my team kind of lonely too.

I had been considering going back to do either primary school teaching, the Civil Service, law and lately I've become interested in going into HR.

I have out ruled teaching as I can't see myself working with children all day. I had applied for the Civil Service but didn't get through the aptitude tests. Going back into the legal area seems expensive and arduous.

HR interests me as I ultimately want regular hours, an office/admin type job, decent salary and promotional opportunities with the option to go back into the public sector. I also enjoy working with people, encouraging and supporting them. I work with 3rd level students at the moment and I enjoy guiding them into their future careers.

I have been researching courses online and it seems it's best to get a CIPD accredited qualification. I have been looking at NCIs HR certificate which would be manageable as I'd be working full time.

Now I know with COVID that there's going to be some changes with how courses are delivered and that it may be difficult to secure work in HR for the next year or so with the presumed economic downturn but I can still be working away in my current post and wait for something to come up.

I'd also like to be able to go over to the UK to work too and I feel having a HR qualification from here would be an asset, would I be correct in saying that?

Also would having my MSc in Nursing be of any benefit when going for interview? I also have experience working in intensive care which really gives you so many transferrable skills, I guess I'd have to sell that during an interview.

Any thoughts, suggestions or comments welcome.

Thanks guys.

Make It Real

ohstan wrote: »

... I enjoy guiding them into their future careers.

So, imagine someone was sitting in front of you who was in your situation and with your queries.


How would you guide them?

What are their main issues?

What can they do to move things forward?



And to now put myself in that role:

It sounds to me like you've a strong idea what you want to do, which is great.
And you're on the ball on what skills you have, how you could spin them for a new role.

You have uncertainty which none of us can answer (economy, Covid related).

You have a couple of minor queries you could research, which you are doing here and maybe elsewhere.



So, what's really holding you back? If anything!

AndrewJRenko

Have you an outgoing personality? Lots of the medical device and pharma companies love to get nurses out on the road in sales roles - company car, regular hours, decent salary and opportunities for growth if you're good.

Thoie

ohstan wrote: »

HR interests me as I ultimately want regular hours, an office/admin type job, decent salary and promotional opportunities with the option to go back into the public sector. I also enjoy working with people, encouraging and supporting them.

I honestly don't want to sound cynical here, but while some HR roles may involve encouraging and supporting people, in general HR is there to protect the company and ensure regulations are being adhered to. Obviously there's more to it than that, but your average HR person doesn't spend time mentoring individuals.

So I suppose the first question is "when you say HR, what do you envision the daily job to be?"

ohstan

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Have you an outgoing personality? Lots of the medical device and pharma companies love to get nurses out on the road in sales roles - company car, regular hours, decent salary and opportunities for growth if you're good.

I am definitely outgoing but not a salesman wouldn't be for me at all but cheers for the suggestion!

Technocentral

ohstan wrote: »

I am definitely outgoing but not a salesman wouldn't be for me at all but cheers for the suggestion!

Don't think the future of work is "out on the road" now anyway. More likely to be remote or based in a building with social distancing.

ohstan

Thoie wrote: »

I honestly don't want to sound cynical here, but while some HR roles may involve encouraging and supporting people, in general HR is there to protect the company and ensure regulations are being adhered to. Obviously there's more to it than that, but your average HR person doesn't spend time mentoring individuals.

So I suppose the first question is "when you say HR, what do you envision the daily job to be?"

I imagine the role to be mostly administrative and yes I'm aware of the regulatory aspect, I'd have an interest in the law anyway which attracted me to the area.

I feel the job also involves organising interviews, sitting on interview panels. Working with the company to get the best out of their staff by using rewards. There would be an element of dealing with performance issues which I deal with at the moment in my current role.

ohstan

Make It Real wrote: »

So, imagine someone was sitting in front of you who was in your situation and with your queries.


How would you guide them?

What are their main issues?

What can they do to move things forward?



And to now put myself in that role:

It sounds to me like you've a strong idea what you want to do, which is great.
And you're on the ball on what skills you have, how you could spin them for a new role.

You have uncertainty which none of us can answer (economy, Covid related).

You have a couple of minor queries you could research, which you are doing here and maybe elsewhere.



So, what's really holding you back? If anything!

I suppose I'm holding myself back to a certain extent as I've gotten used to being in the public sector for so long.

I'm in my early 30s too and have a mortgage so I'm nervous about loss of income or just making a big mistake and regretting it.

I have wanted to park nursing for a some time though and I know it'd regret it if I never gave something else a shot.

I need to talk to some people working in HR and hear their thoughts!

Mrs OBumble

ohstan wrote: »

I also enjoy working with people, encouraging and supporting them. .

You don't understand what HR is about. As an HR person your job is mainly with the difficult people who the company wants to get rid of with the least expense.

And it seems like an incredible shame to waste your nursing education and experience.

Could you get into recruitment?

Or nursing education?

Or customer service/ quality / regulators affairs in the medical devices industry.

TrixIrl

One of the Nursing Recruitment agencies would love to have you. A long time ago I was the first port of call that met all new recruits in the agency and had a chat with them to find out where and what they wanted to be working at.

It was then my role to work with hospitals and other settings to match them up long-term.

Or.... Would you be interested in maybe a trade union role? If working on staff welfare is an interest?

What makes you think the pay in HR is any better than Nursing?

Unless you are lucky enough to make it up the ranks to Manager/Director in a MNC, the salary is not any better I would have thought.

AndrewJRenko

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You don't understand what HR is about. As an HR person your job is mainly with the difficult people who the company wants to get rid of with the least expense.

And it seems like an incredible shame to waste your nursing education and experience.

Could you get into recruitment?

Or nursing education?

Or customer service/ quality / regulators affairs in the medical devices industry.

I disagree with your interpretation of HR. I fully agree with your view on the loss of nursing education and experience. There has to be a way to leverage this.

ohstan

ohstan wrote: »

I am definitely outgoing but not a salesman wouldn't be for me at all but cheers for the suggestion!

Its not sales work it more a technical and education role backing up the sale team who sell the medical products.

Make It Real

ohstan wrote: »

I suppose I'm holding myself back to a certain extent as I've gotten used to being in the public sector for so long.

I'm in my early 30s too and have a mortgage so I'm nervous about loss of income or just making a big mistake and regretting it.

I have wanted to park nursing for a some time though and I know it'd regret it if I never gave something else a shot.

I need to talk to some people working in HR and hear their thoughts!

Fair play for being a good sport and for the honest answer!

Coincidentally I coached a client last week who said she wished was a nurse instead of her current role, just because it was a clearly defined profession with certainty.

My question to her was, "When you retire, 35 or 40 years from now, will you be happy you that you were a nurse all that time?"
The answer was an immediate no! She valued doing new things, variety and having open possibilities far more highly than the benefits of having one defined role for life would give her.

I know its slightly different to your situation and you're not working as a nurse now, but maybe there's something there for you.


Also, you've mentioned two possible paths and see the risk of "regret" in both.

What could be a third path? A fourth path? And so on...

What's a path that could allow you try stuff out, explore, without walking away fully from something until you're ready? What's a path where you could avoid risk and potential regret until you're more sure and ready?

You're young - honestly, I see people in their 40s and 50s changing career! - and even in your brief posts here, I hear that you've the attitude to make it work. So, figure the best way, do what's right and no regrets!


Hope this helps and let me know if I can do anything more for you!

whoopsadaisy

Sounds to me like you've thought quite a bit about it, and your reasons for wanting to move into seem realistic and certainly valid, so I'd say go for it if you think you'd enjoy it! What's stopping you?

You could enrol in a Masters or Diploma course part-time from September whilst staying in your current job - or else look to change into something more relevant so that by the time you have your qualification you also have some relevant experience under your belt. I'd recommend downloading some salary guides however, to give you an idea of what to expect for the type of role you may move into in the interim

Nursing / healthcare recruitment is a great suggestion. Other than that, perhaps medical admin or claims, whereby you can use some of your relevant experience to date, but gaining office / administrative experience

whampiri

HR is a lot of troubleshooting. It's not the "sexy" profession that people think it is, but it is enjoyable. Think of it as IT for people.

You get to try put new things in place, have people ring you about stuff that's easy to fix, ring you about an absolute cluster for help, get little praise but every day is different. I'm quite a few years in it and love it(most of the time), but it can be very stressful.

In relation to interviews, the likelyhood of you carrying these out will be very low for the 1st few years as normally it's more senior managers who undertake these roles.

You mentioned that your current job is very female dominated, the same applies to HR in my experience. My advice, do the course. It'll cost you a small amount of money and a larger amount of time but it'll give you a taste. I recommend doing a diploma recognized by the cipd.

factnee

I would firstly try to get work as a recruiter in an agency that specialises in nursing. While working there you'll also be able to start on your qualification. You could then move to a more generalist HR role after a year or two.

I made the career move to HR at 28 and it was the best thing I ever did. Be prepared for a salary cut for the first year or two however.

Where in the country are you?
The opportunities that might be available locally (to your mortgaged house) could really depend on where you are.

Birdsong

Is there any opportunity with your current employer to move side ways into HR, and go to college part time . The best HR people have worked in industry.

Similar to what others have said HR is very admin, doing mat leave, sick leave, stats etc

The OP works in the public health system so I don't think it would be as easy to transfer as in a private body. Jobs like that would be via competition.

Mrs OBumble

whampiri wrote: »

HR is a lot of troubleshooting. It's not the "sexy" profession that people think it is, but it is enjoyable. Think of it as IT for people.

But without the option of turning them off and back on again

Actually ... thinking some more. It has that option. You just fire 'em and hire a new one.

If you want to work in HR, you need to be able for doing the firing bit

whampiri

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

But without the option of turning them off and back on again

Actually ... thinking some more. It has that option. You just fire 'em and hire a new one.

If you want to work in HR, you need to be able for doing the firing bit

Quite true however there's quite a bit that has to happen before you reach that point which may be more difficult than actually dismissing someone. Dismissing someone is easy, dismissing someone properly is the hard part. I.e. such that they have no legal recourse.

ED E

whampiri wrote: »

HR is a lot of troubleshooting. It's not the "sexy" profession that people think it is, but it is enjoyable. Think of it as IT for people.

You get to try put new things in place, have people ring you about stuff that's easy to fix, ring you about an absolute cluster for help, get little praise but every day is different. I'm quite a few years in it and love it(most of the time), but it can be very stressful.

In relation to interviews, the likelyhood of you carrying these out will be very low for the 1st few years as normally it's more senior managers who undertake these roles.

You mentioned that your current job is very female dominated, the same applies to HR in my experience. My advice, do the course. It'll cost you a small amount of money and a larger amount of time but it'll give you a taste. I recommend doing a diploma recognized by the cipd.

I don't think anyone thinks HR is sexy, it's the office equivalent of the taxman.

1hnr79jr65

Hi OP, HR can be very negative and draining from my experience, while i have not been a HR team member, i worked close with those who do. I represented the company on some matters and staff on others and from seeing both sides of the table, alot of HR staff can get worn down quickly.

Things like if you disagree with the operations team about staff performance and management wont give a chance to the staff member, you can be expected to dismiss the person even if you dont agree. Or you may agree to dismiss them for absences but management dont want you to as they may be good at their role but unreliable for turning up. Another factor is if people are made redundant, this is hard to experience, also hard to be the one to tell staff too, so just some things to think about from the bad side of HR role.

As to your current training, would you consider rotating your current career into a research field with your medical training? Also teaching first aid or skill up to occupational health and safety would work well with your skill set. Both of these can be aligned to a specific company or you could be working for contractor company or solo contractor. Something along these lines would allow you to step away from nursing but still be able to make use of your skills.

I was wondering about this why is HR so popular? there is lots of boaring paperwork someone has to do maternity leave, holiday planning, checking qualifications following up sick certs answering queries, etc.

It would take a good few years before they are in a hiring and firing position or get in to get into an HR management position and at that stage, they may be looking for a master's in HR.

Its like its become a default ideas for those who are not happy where they are now.

Make It Real

mariaalice wrote: »

I was wondering about this why is HR so popular?...Its like its become a default ideas for those who are not happy where they are now.

I suspect its because people think HR involves serving and helping people within the company. To sort their problems, help them do better etc.

Whereas actually its (primarily) about serving the company and helping it get the most output / least hassle from its people.

I don't work in HR, but have seen it closely from the outside, so just an opinion.

Snow Garden

Thoie wrote: »

I honestly don't want to sound cynical here, but while some HR roles may involve encouraging and supporting people, in general HR is there to protect the company and ensure regulations are being adhered to. Obviously there's more to it than that, but your average HR person doesn't spend time mentoring individuals.

So I suppose the first question is "when you say HR, what do you envision the daily job to be?"

Spot on. HR managers tend to be failed functional managers who only care about keeping senior managers happy and preventing the company from getting sued!
Very rare to find a decent HR manager.

OMM 0000

ohstan wrote: »

I enjoy guiding them into their future careers.

That's not really what HR is.

I think the way to look at it is like a Health & Safety Officer - They're not there to protect the employees, they're there to protect the company from getting sued.

IMO HR is a very cynical role.

EDIT: Should have read the other replies before replying!

OMM 0000

mariaalice wrote: »

I was wondering about this why is HR so popular? there is lots of boaring paperwork someone has to do maternity leave, holiday planning, checking qualifications following up sick certs answering queries, etc.

Busybody types love it.

OMM 0000

OMM 0000 wrote: »

Busybody types love it.

Hardly the bases of a career and even if they get to do very little of the helping bit, some people do like helping people not everyone is all about themselves.

Augme

As people have said HR is very admin based. But if I was looking at getting into HR to help people and I would do the learning and development cpid course before a HR general one. At least organisations who have no interest in L&D will ignore you.