How To Successfully Move From Admin To HR
Are you interested in working in human resources but fear you lack the experience?
You were probably hired by a company to do administrative work, or business development, or finance. But over time, people left and responsibilities shifted. Before you knew it, you found yourself taking on small HR duties, and then more and more of them.
However, when it comes time to seek a promotion or move to a new company, you’re stuck. Despite your facility in human resources, your job title and official job description don’t reflect the work you’re actually doing.
How can you brand yourself effectively to move up and become a professional HR?
1. Get HR Certification
While certification isn’t necessary, it is a good way to show your potential employer that you understand HR and are ready for more responsibilities in the HR field.
Taking up an HR short course will also give you the skills you may not possess, while enabling you to learn from other HR professionals.
2. Possess HR Essential Skills
Good judgment and a large dose of discretion are both keys to succeeding in HR. You must be trustworthy because people in HR know employee information before others do.
You must be a people person to work in HR. You deal with all different personalities, so if you’re not diplomatic, HR isn’t the place to be.
You also need really good communication and listening skills. If you’re more comfortable with computers than people, HR might not be for you.
In addition, you have to learn the lay of the land and the people and know who to tap into to be your mentor.
3. Structure your CV differently
If the job titles on your CV don’t reflect your HR experience, employers may pass you over because they often take only a cursory glance at those documents. Instead, draw people’s attention to your most relevant credentials right up top by avoiding the typical chronological format that most CVs follow. Write your CV as an arc to tell the story of your journey to HR and your future trajectory in HR.
For instance, if you’ve helped out in the past with one aspect of human resources, such as recruiting or payroll, explain in your CV and cover letter that this experience helped you realize that you want to move more fully into an HR role. You can highlight the specific things you’ve done related to HR tasks, and create a section related to that. If you shine a very bright light on your HR experience and your HR path, it’s easy for people to match that up with what they’re looking for in that formal job description.
Would you like to position yourself as an accomplished and experienced HR professional? Sign up for this HR Skills course and advance your HR career.