Employment in HR Question
agregpow
1 Post
I have a Masters in HR and a BS in Education. I am seeking a HR position in SC, but haven't had much success. Most of my experience is with small companies. I am a determined, dedicated, and hard-working individual seeking a chance to prove my abilites. I keep hearing that I have too much education for an entry level position and not enough experience for an upper level position. If anyone has some advice that can help me, I'd be very appreciative!
Comments
They, the gatekeepers, often read a lot into company size as well. If you go from small to large, they assume you wont be able to deal with the bureaucracy and more rigid processes and if you go from large to small, they assume you won't actually roll up your sleeves and do any work or you wont be able to "just get things done" because it's not laid out for you in P&P manual somewhere. That's a tough divide to cross as well. Are you looking for other small companies?
It's hard to break into management ranks until someone gives you a shot simply because managing teams is different from completing tasks and there's no good way to know if you will be successful at it until you try it.
My recommendation would be to try to highlight the experience you have and also showcase the knowledge you have of HR laws in SC. I would also try to find out what the major areas of concern for that company are and then talk about your experience/education in those areas. Show them that you can help them in these areas.
Many employers looking for an HR Manager/Director set the job requirements to say a person must have X number of years of experience and some even require a certification like PHR or SPHR. I have met many people in HR that have a number of years in HR but would not have the experience in certain areas. I have also met people that don't have a lot of years in HR but have gone through and dealt with more in those few years then some people have in many, many years in this field. I actually have a good friend that has been in HR for only 2 years, but has dealt with more situations in those few years then many do in 10 years in HR. This is where really highlighting your experience on your resume and cover letter would help you.
Good luck in your search.
You've done nothing wrong by being over qualified for a position. Simply don't display ALL of your attributes, and you'll land the job and get the required experience you need. Don't feel entitled to a certain salary just because you have the degree to back it up. This is exactly why hiring managers won't touch you to begin with. They're afraid if you're not challeneged you'll quit. They also feel if you're not making enough money, you'll walk. Take out your MBA and or Certifications from your resume and then apply.
You can always stick with that job for a few years and then jump out and show the world you've got experience and credentials.
Best of luck. I'll be in the same boat as you in the future. I'm currently working as a recruiter hoping to jump the bridge between staffing firms and HR.
I went from very large and very specific (retirement plans and executive benefits with a large HR consulting firm) to very small and very general HR (payroll/HR/recruiting/benefits including 401k/compensation/etc) that had been in a PEO prior to my coming in and bringing everything back in house.
In your small company experience, did you do all the HR functions or were some/most/all outsourced? Do you feel you have a good overall grasp of the different aspects of HR/payroll?
Depending on the answer to my last question, you might look at small or medium sized companies who are growing. Possibly even those that are currently within a PEO, but spending too much on outsourcing or where outsourcing just doesn't seem to be working for them. Ask them if you could consult on their current PEO costs vs bringing HR back in house. Get basic information...what benefits they have, what their payroll is, etc. It might take some legwork, but I am betting you could find a company or two where you could get a leg in the door by doing so....especially if they are unhappy with the current PEO/outsourcing arrangement. Many smaller companies are in PEOs because they can't find a reliable, knowledgable HR person who is willing to do all the different aspects.