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HR adviser: Jack

This Case Study belongs to Human resources officer.

I decided to study human resource management as an undergraduate at the University of Derby, as I wanted a very practical degree that would enable me to secure a job in HR once I had graduated. I realised early on in my studies that I needed practical experience of working in HR and looked to get HR experience as and when I could.

I contacted recruitment agencies during the summer periods and managed to work for about eight weeks as an HR administrator for a large food manufacturer in Derby. The following summer I worked for Bombardier as a recruitment administrator. Bombardier got in contact with me again when they had an employee due to go on maternity leave and they asked me to work part-time in their HR team as a HR administrator during my final year of studies. I worked at Bombardier for two days a week during my final year and managed to fit work, lectures, studying and a social life around each other. The experience I gained as an HR administrator has placed me in a good position for my career in HR and employers tend to look favourably upon people who have gone out there and got some experience in HR.

I used the careers team at Derby University to help me apply for a number of graduate roles and to apply for non-graduate roles in HR. Indeed, an advertisement on the University's website led me to apply for an interim role with business advisers Cooper Parry. I was interviewed and offered a project role working alongside the HR consulting team to develop their recruitment service. This role was again working two days a week and lasted for the final three months of my studies. I loved having the opportunity to put my HR knowledge to good use and working in a stand-alone role. The company must have liked what they saw - they offered me a permanent role as a trainee HR consultant when I graduated and offered to sponsor me to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in HRM, thus gaining my Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) status. The role exposed me to HR at a strategic level and I was lucky enough to be involved in re-structuring organisations, redundancy, trade union consultation, discipline and grievance and many other aspects of strategic HR with our clients. I was able to get involved with writing and presenting employment law seminars for clients which allowed me to follow my interest in employment law.

However, I felt that I lacked the practical knowledge and experience of HR and wanted a role that was more hands-on and would allow me to be able to see projects through to completion. I have always enjoyed a challenge and recognise that to get far in HR a mix of private and public sector HR experience is a must. I have, therefore, joined the NHS as an HR adviser. As I write this I have my first day with the NHS tomorrow and it is a little daunting. I am expecting public sector HR to be a big culture shock to me as there is a reputation for a great deal of politics and bureaucracy within the NHS.

In terms of career plan I know that I am in a profession which complements my attributes. It is important to me that I have a job which interests, excites and values me, which is why HR is perfect for me. I have certain goals which I want to achieve in the short term, such as continuing my studies, gaining CIPD accreditation and becoming an HR manager within the next three years. Beyond that I want to be responsible for my own HR department in the future, be it in a stand-alone role or as an HR director.

If you are unsure of your career path all I can say is, be true to yourself. Choose a profession which matches your values, attributes and objectives. If you have a natural affiliation with people, are keen to work within the business environment and want to be able to see your work come to fruition, then a career in HR may be for you.

Case Study sourced by Simon Thompson of University of Derby, 29 August 2008.