I have recently graduated with my Master’s in Organizational Leadership and I earned a certificate in HRM.

21 Comments

1. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterOctober 22,2021 at 1:21PM UTC

   Chapreese,

   I'm wondering if you have shown your transferable skills on your resume and LI profile - are you helping these employers see your potential? How are you verbally presenting yourself? Are you 100% confident in your ability to do the jobs you are applying for?

   Also - are you networking, or just applying? If it is the latter - you can expect a long, difficult job search. Attend your local SHRM chapter meetings and other networking opportunities where you can interact with potential employers.

2. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:12PM UTC

   I thought my résumé did reflect what experience and education I had but I am certain there’s always room for improvement so I will definitely take another look at it. Your suggestions as far as networking are spot on and I am going to have to find someplace else to gain more accessibility to people in the HR world. I had only applied so networking is going to be a great addition to what I already have put out there. Thank you very much

3. AnonymousOctober 22,2021 at 1:28PM UTC

   Have you considered joining HR professional groups? This way you could build a network of HR professionals and ensure you are receiving the latest news on trends and laws affecting the industry. You can also think about Leadership conferences focused on HR.

   Further you might consider starting a blog or vlog on trends and your thoughts on where things are headed. This would position you as a leading voice and expert in the field. Next would be speaking on panels with your peers to share your knowledge and perspective on the topic.

4. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:13PM UTC

   You mentioned what others have mentioned as far as joining a group and that is next on my agenda now that it has been suggested so many times so thank you for that. You also hit a point about starting a blog or a blog which was my next step because I am truly passionate about public speaking and I am interested in helping women find their voice. Your post is making me think that might be the way to go :-) thank you so much

5. AnonymousOctober 23,2021 at 4:30AM UTC

   Best of luck to you. You clearly have so much to offer during this time of change. The field is really interesting right now and we could use more strong voices to help move things forward.

6. Felicia EnuhaOctober 22,2021 at 1:29PM UTC

   Hi Chapreese,
   Because you have so many years of work experience and you have the education to back it, you are going to have to think outside the box. The feedback you are getting is telling me that you are trying to use "traditional routes" to gain an HR role, probably even applying to roles that are too junior for your skillset, experience and education, in an effort to get your foot in the door. You are going to have to get your networking up and meet your hiring manager who will see YOU and take a chance on you and willing to do some level of hand holding in the beginning. The traditional recruiting models for HR don't factor in candidates like you. So you have to first decide what industries you are interested in working in, then target people who work at those companies to have informational conversations with. You have to have your story tight and you need to have your resume done by a professional. You also need to be clear on the type of work you want to do and the impact you want to make in an organization. This will be compelling to the right hiring manager/organization. There are few more steps in there but high level, that is the work you will have to put in to make the transition and gain the appropriate level and compensation.

7. Alexis GladstoneOctober 22,2021 at 1:32PM UTC

   Lesa shared some great insight and recommendations, especially the networking part.

   Many people get their foot in the HR door through the recruiter role. Based on your degrees and experience, it's probably not where you want to be but it can be a start, especially in a large organization. Another entry might be through the training and development department.

   Good luck.

8. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:10PM UTC

   Hello and thank you for responding back. I actually was more than open to doing the recruiter role because I felt that was a great place for me to start and I have tons of experience in that position. But again does not seem to be translating from what I do in direct sales and my social work background to what they seem to be looking for an HR. I will take the advice that people have given and find some work around and see where else I can go. I must admit I didn’t try many places so I’m just getting my feet wet. Thank you again

9. LaNee BOctober 22,2021 at 1:34PM UTC

   I always say network, network and network!

10. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:09PM UTC

    And you would always be correct! Thank you

11. JessicaOctober 22,2021 at 2:27PM UTC

    Join a local SHRM chapter?

12. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:09PM UTC

    Oh I looked into that but I didn’t see anything locally. I will check again and see if may be anything opened up. This was suggested to me in the beginning and so I’m going to make it my point to find one. Thank you so very much for the advice

13. KelliOctober 22,2021 at 3:32PM UTC

    Chapreese - you DO have HR experience if you've owned your own business for 15 years. We need to think about how to better pull that experience out (highlight it) on your resume.

    2 things to try:
    1. Use a resume template specific to HR - https://getthejobshop.com/collections/human-resources

    2. Send your resume over here and we'll take a look at it and give you a Rapid Resume Review - https://thegetthejobshop.com/rapid-resume-review

    Hope this helps!

14. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:08PM UTC

    Thank you very much for your support and advice. I will be taking a second look at my résumé and seeing what I might need to change.

15. Tiana MumfordOctober 22,2021 at 3:41PM UTC

    Congrats! I too have owned my business and did my own HR task when I needed to and I included all that on my resume . I came close to an HR coordinator but I’m sure they picked someone with more experience. You have way more experience than me with masters over bachelors and the certification. I would reach out to any fellow HR talents you know . It must be a hard door to get into because I keep hearing issues getting in . I’ve worked with my company for 21 years next month and that didn’t count , I know someone who have tried 5 years and she just got her foot in with no HR degree but she too has worked with her company for 18 years! Keep pushing other companies I was told broaden my search!

16. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:05PM UTC

    Thank you so much for sharing with me and kudos to you for going for it as well. I appreciate your advice and I will keep pushing forward I feel that my résumé totally gives what I’ve been doing in leader ship and how it can translate into HR but again it’s who you know sometimes lol

17. Joanne RosenOctober 22,2021 at 6:50PM UTC

    Hi

    You need a resume that translates your previous duties and achievements into transferable skills. The language matters, as do the things you accomplished.

    Since you owned a business for 15 years, you need to be able to translate that, along with projects from your Master's.

    If you want a free analysis of your current resume, upload it to: www.analyticadvantagecc.com

    We can help you get the job you deserve.

    Cheers
    Joanne

18. Chapreese PenningtonOctober 22,2021 at 7:07PM UTC

    Thank you so very much. I felt that my résumé did translate what my skills and education are but I definitely am open to seeing if there’s something more that I missing. Will gladly use the link.

19. Kristie WhiteOctober 23,2021 at 2:05PM UTC

    Message me here a FGB. Let’s chat.

20. JaneOctober 23,2021 at 7:26PM UTC

    Leave it off of your resume and get out ASAP!!

21. Cyndi RosenblattOctober 24,2021 at 2:50AM UTC

    I had my own business for a few years before I moved back into the workforce full-time and I had to translate my skills and my time (my sideline was freelance and not full-time) for HR when I applied for a new position in my office. If I hadn't already been internal and specifically encouraged to apply, I would have never even known that HR didn't pass my application up to the hiring manager. Because several years of my relevant experience didn't match what they were used to seeing, they didn't evaluate my application appropriately and decided I didn't meet the minimum qualifications. I had to go to HR and argue my case while the hiring committee held off making any final decision so I'd have my shot. I can only imagine how much worse that kind of thing is now with the automated systems doing the first screen.