Forums
Career change from IT to HR!!
HR Career Forum
Career change from IT to HR!!
Discuss your job search, the interviewing process, creating the right resume, how the HR profession's changes require new job-search approaches and related topics.
Hi Kate,
This is Sudarsan from India, thanks for sending me the PDF's. I have a few queries regarding a career shift & I apologize for a elaborate posting.
I have been working as a Graphic/W
0
Cat:Topic ForumsForum:ForumId97
Cat:Topic ForumsForum:ForumId97Discussion:DiscussionId32492
Forums » Topic Forums » HR Career Forum » Career change from IT to HR!!
|
Career change from IT to HR!!
posted at 11/27/2006 3:53 PM EST
|
Posts: 2
First: 11/27/2006 Last: 11/30/2006 |
Hi Kate,
This is Sudarsan from India, thanks for sending me the PDF's. I have a few queries regarding a career shift & I apologize for a elaborate posting. I have been working as a Graphic/Web designer for the past 6+ years. I have done my Post Graduate Diploma in Business Admin(HR)through distance learning. I'm passionate about the field of Human Resources & it has been my long cherished dream of making a career in HR. My query is: - Is it wise for me to move to entry-level HR after these many years in S/W industry. - How do I convince people that my passion for HR made me go for a career shift. - Questions that can be expected in a HR position interview. - Should I go for a HR generalist role or grab any offer like Recruitment etc that comes my way? I had attended a coupla interviews wherein the HR werent much convinced about my reasons(passion, interest toward people etc) for a career shift. I have copied below my current HR CV. Let me know if any changes need to be made. --------------------------------------- R.SUDARSAN Expecting suggestions/feedback from all forumers. Warm regards, R.Sudarsan |
|
|
Career change from IT to HR!!
posted at 11/28/2006 2:19 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 38
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 3/10/2008 |
Dear Sudarsan
You have one bullet on your resume that seems relevant, and it should probably be expanded: 6+ years experience in creating interactive user-centric design & development; Experience in creating training solutions for Human Capital Management(HCM). The other items in your summary are weak and not that helpful to you. Put all of your personality traits (Strong interpersonal and communication skills; expertise in interacting with international clients.) at the bottom of your summary. Put more real accomplishments at the top of your summary following that HCM accomplishment. That 6 years is a lot of experience in a training-related function and may be your way in. Then you no longer have to present yourself as a graphic designer but as a training developer (if thats what you were). The top of your resume, centered and bolded under your name, address, phone and email would read: (line 1) 6+ years experience creating training solutions (line 2) for Human Capital Management Your bullets under that would focus on your training development work, and your graphic design work should focus on those that were training-related or could have been training related (such as interactive applications). Get rid of your "career objective" line, which positions you as an outsider and makes you seem weak. You should also join an HR-related organization and put that in your summary (after you accomplishments and before your personality traits), as well as the local chapter of the ASTD (American Society for Training and Development), which operates in 100 countries. You will meet other trainers and training developers there and find out what kind of work they are doing. Your summary should also list your postgraduate diploma in Business Administration (HR), and perhaps list some of the relevant courses you have taken. When they see your resume, they should think HR training development rather than thinking web designer. You should not have to take a major pay cut or start at the bottom. Any reader who would like a PDF of the Two-Minute Pitch, which helps you reposition yourself for the job you want, should email me at Kate@fiveoclockclub.com and put the words "Two-Minute Pitch" in the subject line. Good luck to you all, and be sure to post your resumes on the Workforce site. Kate Wendleton, President The Five OClock Club A national career coaching and outplacement organization www.fiveoclockclub.com |
|
|
Career change from IT to HR!!
posted at 11/30/2006 1:05 PM EST
|
|
Posts: 147
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 2/11/2007 |
I don't wish to sound argumentative but what Kate is suggesting isn't very realistic.
Sure you can possibly position yourself as some training and development specialist but you will be looked at first and formost as a web designer. Further, I disagree that you won't take a pay cut. The odds are reasonable that if you acccept a position outside of your current employer and outside your current occupation that you will take a pay cut. Outside of some training experience you don't have the HR background to justify any other rate of compensation. Companies take short cuts in their recruiting processes. Those shortcuts mean they are looking for candidates who match their search criteria at 90% or better. You have to figure out how to beat those short cuts. Your only realistic chance is to network your way in. That can be within your current company or networking into a new company. Start with the local ASTD or HR professional association. Get to know those people and let them see your passion for HR. Frankly speaking and with almost 30 years of HR experience behind me you have a very steep challenge in front of you and the obstacles are many. It will take every ounce of effort you can muster to make your desire a reality. You must understand too that even that effort may not be successful. I wish you the best of success wherever your journey takes you. |
|
|
Career change from IT to HR!!
posted at 11/30/2006 2:52 PM EST
|
|
Posts: 2
First: 11/27/2006 Last: 11/30/2006 |
Hi Kate & OldHR,
Tons of thanks to both of you for your suggestions. I know its a tough battle for me to move into HR @ this juncture. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, its hardly 2 months since I started searching out for a HR career. Hope to get a break ASAP!!(That sounds a bit over-confdent uh..) Warm regards, R.Sudarsan |
|
|
Career change from IT to HR!!
posted at 12/1/2006 5:25 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 3870
First: 2/12/2002 Last: 11/2/2009 |
I tend to agree with OldHR's comments. Since you are changing fields and starting over, it's quite likely that you will take a pay cut. YOu've got 6 years of work in a technical field, and that's worth a lot more than a degree in HR and a desire to work in that field.
You can leverage your past background some if you look for HR positions in companies that do work similar to what you're doing now. IT and engineering people always whine about only wanting to work with HR people who understand what they do, and you certainly have that understanding. Focusing on a recruiting position at first rather than a generalist role could be your ticket into HR since you know what the jobs are and what a person needs to know in order to be successful in them. Staffing will give you some solid corporate experience and it's relatively easy to leverage that into other HR disciplines. That's the way I started, and I've had several top HR generalist jobs in my career. Good luck! |
|
|
Career change from IT to HR!!
posted at 12/5/2006 12:11 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 38
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 3/10/2008 |
Hang in there, Sudarsan. There are plenty of IT people in HR. I know. I was one of them. Those in mainstream HR may not view us as part of HR, but we are a very big, essential part. In fact, HR is becoming more and more technology-based and the outsourcing of HR functions because of technology is a major threat to the old-time HR people.
The Five O'Clock Club has put on three seminars having to do with technology and the outsourcing of HR functions in the past year, and hundreds of HR people have attended each time. The growth of tecyhnology in HR is a major trend. In addition, I have written 8 career-development books and have been a coach since 1978. I can guarantee that if you present yourself as a career changer, you will be seen as a career changer and your transition will be far more difficult. The Five O'Clock Club coaches thousands of professionals, managers and executives every year and our success rate is phenomenal. Anyone can give you advice, but we have the responsibility of giving advice that works because we have to follow through with our job hunetrs. We can't just give advice and then run off. It's very easy to tell you that you will have difficulty and perhaps should give up or resign yourself to a pay cut. That's the easy "advice." The difficult advice is thinking how you can avoid those problems. I wish you the best and leave it at that. Cordially, Kate |
|
|
Career change from IT to HR!!
posted at 1/23/2007 2:06 AM EST
|
|
Posts: 11
First: 2/15/2006 Last: 1/23/2007 |
If you are really passionate about something and dream about it then follow through on that.
I did it many years ago by moving from engineering to HR and also took other cross-functional moves. There was passion but also careful planning and taking advice from many well wishers within the company. It did not happen overnight but I established good contacts with some senior HR people meeting them regularly to influence them about my passion. At the same time, I started doing things such as training other engineers and running training sessions through which I could demonstrate my passion in HR. A move came up to work as the training coordinator in the engineering department and I took it. Since then I have not looked back. Finally, it is easier to change professions within the same company so do actively look for opportunities within your present company and pursue them. Don't forget to also establish a good name for yourself in your present job first. Good luck! Anoop http://www.career-change-mentor.com/Make-Your-Career-Move.html |
Forums » Topic Forums » HR Career Forum » Career change from IT to HR!!
