Dear HR King:
First of all, congratulations for your willingness to reinvent yourself. It
takes more courage than many people possess.
Your biggest challenge is going to be convincing employers that you have
current, relevant HR skills. The field of human resources has changed quite a
bit in the past decade. Not only have new laws been enacted (e.g., FMLA in 1993,
HIPAA in 1996) and landmark Supreme Court decisions been handed down (e.g.,
Burlington Industries v. Ellerth and Faragher v. City of Boca Raton), but the
very concept of what constitutes human resources has been altered. The
profession has shifted from more of an administrative role to a strategic one.
You don't mention whether you have either a Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
or a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation, but my first
suggestion would be for you to obtain one or the other. You can contact the
Society for Human Resource Management for information. Possessing either one of
these credentials would reassure employers that your knowledge and skills are
up-to-date.
I also recommend that your resume emphasize your management skills. Show how
your more recent management experience directly ties into the functions you
would be carrying out as an HR professional. Always, always write a cover
letter. Research the companies you are interested in and attempt to reflect that
knowledge in the letter. Tailor what you write to each specific job and, again,
emphasize how your management experience would enable you to do the position you
are seeking.
Don't go further back on your resume than necessary. Stop, at the very
earliest, at your first HR job. Don't give the dates you received any of your
degrees, unless they were recent. Unfortunately, age discrimination still
exists, and you want to be judged first and foremost on your experience.
Your best bet for finding an employer willing to give you a chance is either
a very small company or a very large one. Small companies are known risk-takers
and, because their employees frequently have to wear many hats, often value more
highly a breadth of experience. Large companies, on the other hand, have more
vacancies to fill, and their more narrowly defined positions allow them to hire
people for their strengths in a particular area (such as yours in labor
relations). On a related note, you also may want to focus on companies that are
unionized and would need your expertise. Be willing, too, to start even lower
than a managerial position. If the company and opportunity are right, you will
quickly move up.
Lastly, remember the old adage: It's not what you know; it's who you know.
Talk to your friends, neighbors, and business acquaintances. Spread the word
that you are looking. Join your local association chapter, your city's chamber
of commerce, and/or a volunteer organization whose cause interests you. Serve on
a board of directors for a non-profit. And network, network, network. Good luck!
