Transitioning into the profession

Many people have successfully transitioned at higher levels into the profession from completely different fields. Find out how they’ve done it.

Examples of career transitions

People who transition into the profession usually possess the type of relevant experience which provides a stepping stone to move into a full people role. The key to successful transitions at more senior levels is to gain relevant work experience in fields adjacent to the people profession.

Examples may include:

• working as an employment lawyer before transitioning into an in‐house legal role at a large organisation, eventually becoming Head of Employee Relations
• taking the lead as an engineer on technical training in the organisation, before transitioning into a wider learning and development role
• working as an executive coach with a background in Occupational Psychology, eventually becoming Director of Organisational Development.

It’s also helpful to self‐assess yourself against the core knowledge and behaviours expected of all people professionals (as evidenced in the new Profession Map). Doing so will highlight your areas of development to support a successful transition into the profession.

Career transition success stories

Find out how people at different stages of their careers and working lives have transitioned into HR, L&D and OD&D careers.