What is a Career in HR Like? In Conversation with an HR Consultancy Business Owner

03/29/23 • 68 min

The Career Discovery Podcast

On the show today we meet Karen! Karen works as a Human Resources (HR) Consultancy Business Owner in the UK.

Karen kindly shares with us...
Area of expertise (3:00)

Common misconceptions of the HR role
An overview of the HR industry and typical roles within an HR department
The purpose of the HR role
What an HR consultancy business owner does on an average day
Most enjoyable parts of the role
Challenging parts of the role
Proudest moments in the role

Career journey (19:48)

How Karen became an HR consultancy business owner from aspiring Pan’s People dancer & PE teacher
Highs of the career journey
Challenges of the career journey
Proudest moments of the career journey
Importance of role models and mentors

Advice (51:14)

Helpful education, training and skills for aspiring HR professionals
The future of the HR profession
Advice and resources for people who are keen to find out more about a career in HR:
- Disruptive HR
- HR Disrupted – Lucy Adams
Advice for her younger self and you!

Other resources:

The Top Regrets of the Dying - Bronnie Ware

We also talk about:

The advantage of surrounding yourself with positive people
The benefit of transferable and in-demand skills
The value of getting a foot in the door and learning on the job
The power of humility, curiosity and continuous learning
The importance of believing in yourself
Getting out of your comfort zone

So if you’re curious and wondering what an HR professional does or how to become an HR professional, listen, watch and enjoy!
→ Show notes

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On the show today we meet Karen! Karen works as a Human Resources (HR) Consultancy Business Owner in the UK.

Karen kindly shares with us...
Area of expertise (3:00)

Common misconceptions of the HR role
An overview of the HR industry and typical roles within an HR department
The purpose of the HR role
What an HR consultancy business owner does on an average day
Most enjoyable parts of the role
Challenging parts of the role
Proudest moments in the role

Career journey (19:48)

How Karen became an HR consultancy business owner from aspiring Pan’s People dancer & PE teacher
Highs of the career journey
Challenges of the career journey
Proudest moments of the career journey
Importance of role models and mentors

Advice (51:14)

Helpful education, training and skills for aspiring HR professionals
The future of the HR profession
Advice and resources for people who are keen to find out more about a career in HR:
- Disruptive HR
- HR Disrupted – Lucy Adams
Advice for her younger self and you!

Other resources:

The Top Regrets of the Dying - Bronnie Ware

We also talk about:

The advantage of surrounding yourself with positive people
The benefit of transferable and in-demand skills
The value of getting a foot in the door and learning on the job
The power of humility, curiosity and continuous learning
The importance of believing in yourself
Getting out of your comfort zone

So if you’re curious and wondering what an HR professional does or how to become an HR professional, listen, watch and enjoy!
→ Show notes

Previous Episode

What is a Career in Marketing like? In Conversation with a Head of Marketing

On the show today we meet Laura! Laura works as a Head of Marketing in the investment management/asset management industry in the UK.
Laura kindly shares with us:
Area of expertise (04:11)

Common misconceptions of the head of marketing role
An overview of a marketing department and the wide variety of roles
The purpose of the marketing function
What a head of marketing does on an average day
Most enjoyable parts of the role
Challenging parts of the role
Proudest moments in the role

Career journey (37:17)

How Laura became a head of marketing from aspiring paediatrician
Highs of the career journey
Challenges of the career journey
Importance of role models and mentors

Advice (01:30:11)

Helpful education, training and skills for marketing professionals
The future of the marketing profession
Advice and resources for people who are keen to find out more about a career in marketing
Advice for her younger self and you!

We also talk about:

Taking the first step when you are afraid to start
Finding value in all experiences
The danger of taking things for granted, making assumptions and having pre-conceived notions
The power of understanding the context you are working in
Building your personal brand within a company
Building your own ‘personal board of directors’
The importance of asking questions and being willing to put yourself out there

So if you’re curious and wondering what a head of marketing does or how to become a head of marketing, listen, watch and enjoy!
→ Show notes

Next Episode

What Is a Career in Counselling & Psychotherapy Like? In Conversation with a Counsellor & Psychotherapist

On the show today we meet Mike! Mike works as a Counsellor & Psychotherapist in the healthcare sector in the UK.

Mike kindly shares with us:

Area of expertise (03:59)

Common misconceptions of the counsellor & psychotherapist roles
An overview of the counselling & psychotherapy industry
The purpose of counselling & psychotherapy
What a counsellor & psychotherapist does on an average day
Most enjoyable parts of the role
Challenging parts of the role
Proudest moments in the role

Career journey (19:20)

How Mike became a counsellor & psychotherapist from aspiring actor and established IT professional
Highs of the career journey
Challenges of the career journey
Proudest moments of the career journey
Importance of role models and mentors

Advice (49:46)

Helpful education, training and skills for aspiring counsellors & psychotherapists
The future of the counselling & psychotherapy profession
Advice and resources for people who are keen to find out more about a career in counselling & psychotherapy
Advice for his younger self and you!

We also talk about:

Financial security in career decision making
Navigating a mid-career change and re-training
Pursuing passion, purpose and career fulfilment
The importance of continuous learning
Setting boundaries to prevent burnout
The power of self-reflection and self-awareness
Imposter syndrome and fear of failure
Taking a leap of faith

So if you’re curious and wondering what a counsellor & psychotherapist does or how to become a counsellor & psychotherapist or you just want to be inspired - listen or watch and enjoy!
→ Show notes