How do I get into HR?
Actually, this is a tricky question and there isn’t one specific answer potential HR guys and gals, but it means there are many routes you can take.
If you ask a roomful of HR practitioners how they got into HR, the responses will vary. Some of them will have moved from business backgrounds, some from an entry role in HR for six months only to find out they love HR, and some will have studied HR in University. see our HR pathways.
Generally my advice to students or people who want to get in to HR is to think about;
1. what attracts you to HR and
2. why do you want to work in this profession?
By answering the questions above this should give you a clearer indication of what areas of HR attracts you the most and what jobs you need to start looking for. For example if you are really interested in a specific area such as: recruitment, health and safety or learning, training and development then you can start looking for these specialist types of roles. But, if it’s because you enjoy dealing with a wide range of people management issues (from previous experience or studies) then it’s clear you need to look for generalist roles such as HR Co-ordinator and Advisor roles. -see our HR Job Families and Remuneration Surveys. However, if your answer is because you really like dealing with people and want to be liked then you really need to call me, as this is soooo not the profession for you! That like gem is a whole different blog.
The most important thing that you can do if you want to get into HR is join HRINZ (no I am not on a recruitment drive). By joining HRINZ you will be able meet and network with our HR professionals in your local area at events. You will be able to meet HR professionals that will be recruiting for these HR positions and gain knowledge around the types of skill sets and experience they are looking for when employing HR people. I can’t stress enough how important networking is in this profession, as the old saying of ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ definitely applies in HR circles.
