Finding work in HR and development

This information is for experienced HR/development professionals who are currently looking for employment.

Regaining work experience

There will be many benefits in gaining some form of paid, unpaid or voluntary work experience before picking up your career again. Some people prefer to return to work on a part-time basis initially - gradually becoming a full-time employee when personal demands permit.

Self employment

As a personnel/development practitioner you may be interested in setting up your own business as a consultant. For many people this is a major decision and it is recognised that becoming a consultant can involve considerable risk and hard work. Experienced personnel/development consultants may be able to offer you advice. Discussions with your bank manager about the financial issues will also help you to formulate your ideas.

• Factsheet: Make it your business

Voluntary work

Undertaking voluntary work is a very good way of gaining occupational experience. There will be many voluntary organisations in your local area which may be delighted to have specialist help. The work which they undertake ranges from mutual support and campaigning to direct service provision. Voluntary organisations vary in size from one person operations to large bureaucratic enterprises. Many need help on their voluntary management committees. A personnel/development qualification is likely to be of considerable help. Alternatively, you could undertake some consultancy, project or research work for a given period of time. Voluntary work like this can open up new opportunities in paid employment and help you to learn new skills and gain valuable new experience. Working voluntarily in this way can offer you some choice about the amount of time you spend working, and the range of work you agree to do.

You can find out about voluntary organisations in your area through your local libraries and by contacting:

Work assignments and projects

Work assignments and projects are now an integral part of many professional updating courses. Skills based courses with assignment requirements can be a useful way of gaining longer-term job opportunities.

Networking

Active involvement in CIPD branch and group activities brings you into contact with other personnel/development practitioners, enables you to take part in discussions about professional developments and to learn from visiting speakers.

• Find out more in our Branches area

Cold contacting

Phoning or writing directly to employers to find out if they have any unfilled vacancies or opportunities suitable for your experience, can be successful. Look at national/local press for job adverts - follow up news items eg company relocations.

You may find The Personnel Manager's Yearbook, or The Training Manager's Yearbook helpful as they contain information about medium-to-large sized organisations with a named personnel/training contact. Each has a geographical index, which will make it easier to target employers in your locality. They are published every year by AP Information Services Ltd and are held in stock by some large public reference libraries.

Other publications you may find helpful in your job search include the Directory of Executive Recruitment (International edition) and the UK Directory of Talent Management. Both of these directories are published by and are available from Executive Grapevine International Ltd. They are updated annually and may be obtained through a good public library.

Tel: 01727 844335

We produce a free list of personnel recruitment firms. For further details, look at our Library pages or phone 0208 612 6210.

Advertising

Our magazine, People Management carries a directory, which allows consultants to advertise their specialist expertise. Contact

Tel: 0207 880 6200

The appointments pages in People Management magazine

People Management carries the CIPD's Appointment Service, which features pages of opportunities in the personnel and development field. For a small fee, individual CIPD members can advertise their availability for employment.

Our Career Bridge Register

The Career Bridge Register is available to members who have moved away from paid employment for a protracted period. Full services are provided at a reduced annual subscription rate. The register is available to Graduate and chartered members from the first renewal date following their withdrawal from employment and fees must have been paid at the 'normal' subscription rate for at least one year prior to transfer. A written declaration that no paid employment has been/will be undertaken during this period is required.

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus gives help and advice on jobs and training for those who can't work and who need financial help.

Your CV

This is your marketing tool. Is it selling you the way you want it to?

• Factsheet: CV guide

Career guidance

Taking a break from employment may have focused your mind on your future working aspirations. There is no need to feel helpless. This will give you some ideas about the places you may go to gain further career guidance to help you with your personal development plan.

Taking a break can be advantageous as it provides an opportunity for reflection and planned change regarding personal work-goals and ambitions. You may decide that a full-time job would be impractical and that you want to pursue the possibility of part-time or flexible working. You may consider that consultancy work or self employment would be a suitable option for the future. You may conclude that you no longer wish to seek the rewards of employment above all other priorities in your life. You may wish to change direction in your career. This may mean pursuing a different path in personnel and development or even changing career altogether.

Making such major decisions can be difficult, and may need further help, guidance, career counselling and information. Some indication of where you may go for impartial and professional assistance is given below.

Jobcentres

Many Jobcentres offer a range of career advice including a special careers advisory service for people with disabilities.

Careers services

Careers services offer career guidance. Most will have a careers library open to the public. Careers officers are an invaluable source of advice, as close contact is maintained with local employers, colleges and training providers.

Private careers advisers

There has been considerable growth in the numbers of private organisations which offer individual and specialist careers counselling and advice. Charges vary. Some agencies may be able to put you in contact with prospective employers. Check the Yellow Pages under careers advisers for details of local organisations.

Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS)

AGCAS provide careers advice and support to those who are undertaking, or who have recently completed, a university qualification. This free careers service is available within most universities within the UK. Contact your nearest university for further information.

Other sources of information

Career analysts will send you a free brochure on counselling services. The National Association of Educational Guidance for Adults (NAEGA), which has produced a directory listing nearly 200 organisations providing adult educational and career guidance in the UK, are a useful information source. Contact

If you are considering a change of career, you can approach other professional bodies for information about entry requirements, training requirements, work opportunities and details of the activities of the profession.

Personal and professional development

Personal career development is dependent on continuous learning from the real experiences of work, experiences outside work and through occasional periods of training, education and academic study.

Our policy on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will help you address ways of making the most use of your work and life experiences in order to be professionally acute. Remember that valuable learning can be gained during a break from employment which may be of use in the workplace and could be recorded as CPD. For example, PAYE for nannies, facilitating networking or involvement in any number of activities outside the work environment can all be used as evidence of CPD activity.

The CIPD offers professional assessment of competence (PAC) as a means of matching our Professional Standards on the basis of current and previous experience. PAC involves assembling, and where necessary developing, evidence of both the skills and underpinning knowledge and understanding identified in our Professional Standards. Call us on 0208 8612 6208 for more information.

Continuing Professional Development

The CIPD Continuing Professional Development policy mentioned earlier has been introduced to encourage personnel professionals to keep up-to-date. The development plan and development record associated with this CPD policy can be used for recording and planning your CPD activities.

Access to training

Education and training opportunities are offered by a wide range of organisations, although the available mix of opportunities will vary according to where you live. In some cases you can learn from home with the aid of open and distance learning packages and correspondence courses.

Personal development planning and recording

To make the most of your opportunities in developing your talents, it may assist you to spend some time at the beginning in sketching out what you can do and how you would like to develop and add to or extend what you can do.

Before making a personal development plan you will need to ask yourself the following questions:

• What do I want to gain from further development?
• What do I want/need to learn?
• What qualities, skills and abilities do I need to develop?
• What kind of knowledge and information do I need to acquire?
• Do I need vocational training, academic education, experience or a combination of all three?
• How do I wish to learn? Full time? Part time? By following a distance learning or correspondence course?

As well as the pursuit of academic, educational or vocational training leading to a recognised qualification, other appropriate learning opportunities might include participation in customised training programmes, project work and alternative work experience. (Please note, 'training' does not equal just 'courses').

Refresher training in people management

Although there is no formal comprehensive refresher course for catching up with developments in the personnel and training profession, we have a range of short courses including such topics as employment law updates. We also hold seminars and conferences, including the Annual Conference and Exhibition. This features various topics in people management and courses are offered at special rates to members.

• Training courses

Personnel and development information services

Our reading lists on a range of topics are available from our Library. More specific printouts are available on request and there is a photocopying service for journal articles. Contact our Library department for further help on 0208 612 6210.

Books

We produce a range of new personnel and development titles every year. Our publications are an invaluable source of practical up-to-date reading material. See www.cipd.co.uk/bookstore for more information, or call 0870 800 3366.

People Management online

Contains features and news articles to keep personnel and training professionals up to date.

Other training opportunities and information sources

There may be other forms of training and knowledge which could be of use to you in your personal development. While you are on a break from employment, you might consider changing career track. The following information provides some broad guidance regarding agencies and information sources about other types of education and training opportunities. Your first sensible step would be to explore the great range of options open to you. Below are listed some major sources of development opportunities:

• universities - ask at your local careers office or library
• The Open University - see your local library for further details
• colleges of further education - contact your local education authority
• adult education centres - local authorities should have further details

            The National Extension College -

• The Women Returners' Network

It's important that you keep your options open and don't give up. Make the most of everything that comes your way, as your next opportunity could be just around the corner. Good luck!