Before I decided to move into HR I knew very little about it. However I enjoyed psychology, and any opportunity to engage and energise others in taking on a challenge, so starting a career in HR was a conscious choice.
At this point I was completing a MA in Theatre, and enjoyed the Director/Producer role of putting on the show, for instance managing the various specialisms and personalities involved - from carpenter to prima donna! I wanted to learn in a fast-paced commercial environment and I joined the M&S Graduate Management Scheme, choosing to be a HR specialist.
Meeting music, literary, business and sporting legends along the way have also been awesome...
HR gives you an “access all areas” pass into the business. Along the way I have been offered commercial roles e.g. Area Manager at Waterstone’s and Senior Brand Manager – Scotch Whisky at Maxxium, but on both occasions it was right to make an international move instead.
I worked across Asia Pacific for five years. Considering challenges in Japan, S Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia opened my mind to new cultures, perspectives and challenges. After 5 years living in Sydney I became an Australian citizen which is the greatest honour of my life to date.
I've been very lucky in the variety of my career. Some moments may be considered out of the ordinary (such as working security for a Paul McCartney book signing or DJ-ing on Diesel-U-Music Radio) but strong brands give you unusual experiences that reflect their DNA. Meeting literary, music, business and sporting legends along the way have also been awesome (including Florence & the Machine, Primal Scream, Jim Crace, Michael Donaghy, Anita Roddick, Jim Collins, Paul Scholes and Phil Kearns).
My ultimate career ambition is to lead a large, motivated, intelligent and highly capable HR team across an entrepreneurial global business with strong values … fortunately that’s what I do today!
Any advice for anyone thinking of HR as a career?
Go ahead, you won’t regret it. You’ll have an insight into the organisation and its people in a very privileged way. Both the organisation and the people will trust you with their secrets; how you manage this gift will define you and your success. To succeed you need to be commercially minded, principled yet flexible, and have a curious nature.
I think that the toughest (yet most worthwhile) part of the job is supporting employees when they are going through tough personal times (such as debt, personal or family illness, or grief) or when they’re facing intense professional challenges, like an international move. As a profession we are privileged to be trusted in this way and, liaising with the appropriate resources, we can provide much needed support and structure.
Implementing restructuring with probable redundancies is always challenging, but there is the opportunity to support your colleagues with the most professional communication, support and counsel throughout; and to ensure that respect is always sustained.