To thing I can do a cipd while on mat leave?

[Smarshian]

I'm currently on mat leave- due to return to work as a restaurant manager in Jan. I'm also pregnant so due to go on mat leave again around May.
Long term I don't want to be in my current role. I want to be able to have evenings/weekends off when the kids start school so am thinking of changing career path to hr/ specialising in employee relations. Ideally I'd like to do a cipd course beginning in Jan, and continuing through mat leave.
Has anyone done this course? It would be ics- are they well respected? Is it ridiculous to think I will be able to complete this? Would I be able to walk straight into a hr job at the end of my mat leave?

Only you know what you can achieve with two tiny children about the place.

Very few courses would allow you to walk into a particular job. With a career change you would have to show either strong transferable skills or start from a lower level.

Doubt it. If you had administrative experience you could be in the frame for an entry level HR assistant job but competition is quite hot and those jobs usually go to graduates (often after said grads have done their time in admin). For anything above entry level, HR experience is going to be more important than a qualification.

Feel free to do the qualification if you definitely want to go into the field, but don't count on walking into a job.

The CIPD is not for the faint hearted. Even a distant course (at post grad level) is at least 15-20 hours a week including learning plus assignments and a couple of days workshop ever 2/3 months.

It’s doable whilst you’re on mat leave but you will need to be very disciplined and manage your time well. My HR advisor has just finished hers. She’s single, work full time and has done well. But she’s knackered; weekends studying and full time work has taken its toll.

Have you worked in HR prior to now?

The CIPD isn’t an automatic entry in to a HR career but it will help. You will also need to consider that the CIPD course content will be easier if you’re already in HR. When I did mine, I definitely had an advantage compared to others who weren’t in HR.

Are you funding this too?

And tbh, if you don't currently have experience working in an office environment I might focus on getting that first and do the qualification later. People generally do those quals when they're already in HR and want to move up.

I'm doing Cipd while looking after my 16mo and it is tough. Wouldn't do it with 2 about

Just re read your op you will find Cipd impossible without recent office experience preferably HR related experience. The assignments are all based on your role in HR and your workplace.

You're going to have two children under two to look after. Will you have the time and energy to study?

I have not previously worked in hr, however, I feel I have a basic knowledge through practical application of hr procedures in my current work place (disciplinaries/ grievances/ recruitment etc etc). I also have a degree (though it's unrelated), I did my degree through the OU while working full time so I am reasonably good with the discipline side.
I plan to self fund yes.

I do worry about time/energy to study but I don't want to return to work after second mat leave and have to take a significant long term drop in pay which is why I'm thinking of doing it sooner rather than later.

That won't be enough. You'll have to base your assignments on a made up role which will be almost impossible. As a pp said you'd be better trying to get some office experience as you're more likely to get an HR assistant role after a years relevant experience than you are the cipd. On top of the assignments you have 6 objectives you have to complete throughout the year (3 professional and 3 personal) you have to report on them throughout the year as CPD.

What is it about office based environment that you think will help me? I'm not totally against doing that first but I'm just concerned about the pay drop for roles that would be suitable for me now.

The assignments are based on your HR role within an organisation.

To get an HR job they would want office experience

My advice would be don’t do it. If doing level 3/entry level then it may help you get an entry level HR job as an admin and be just do-able.

Level 5 and above is enough to finish off someone with HR experience, it’s really hard going and solid. It won’t “teach” you how to do the job either. A bit like a dr learning anatomy but who has never examined a living patient, you will do tonnes of theory and nothing practical. And it’s so much easier if you are at least working in a HR or office environment. Don’t do it to yourself right now.

I have not previously worked in hr, however, I feel I have a basic knowledge through practical application of hr procedures in my current work place (disciplinaries/ grievances/ recruitment etc etc).

Sorry, but I don't think that's going to help a great deal. The thing is that unis are turning out loads of bright graduates every year who want to get into HR. The lucky ones get on a graduate programme and can dive in to an entry level HR role, the less lucky ones do their time as receptionists and admin assistants til they can jump at the chance of an HR assistant position. And the CIPD qualifications are largely designed for people already working in the field. They qualify you to move up rather than get in.

Unfortunately if you haven't been working in an office environment, you would be regarded as a risk in anything above an entry level position - that is one of the challenges of making the jump from retail or hospitality work.

I don't want to discourage you, if this is definitely the career you want then definitely go for it. But I also want you to have good information on what the paths/barriers are likely to be and I wouldn't like to see you self-fund the qualification if it isn't going to help you much, which I fear it won't.

I'm just concerned about the pay drop for roles that would be suitable for me now.

If you want to get out of hospitality and into office work, you will almost certainly have to take a pay cut. That's the way it is I'm afraid. They are different environments with different skills and expectations and employers are very unlikely to take a chance on you in anything above an entry level office role.

Ok thanks for your help. Seems I might need to rethink my plan.

I was working as a retail manager when I decided I wanted to go into HR. I realised I would need office admin experience, of which I had none, so I spent a year temping in offices. Then I got a job as an entry level HR assistant, and after a year they agreed to sponsor me through my CIPD, or IPD as it was then.

Definitely a huge advantage to be working in an HR role, I imagine it would be very difficult without. As others have said, it's a qualification which gives you lots of theory and enables you to move up in HR but doesn't give you the practical skills for doing the job, which you get by working in an HR assistant/HR administrator role.

With regards to the pay drop, from working as a retail manager on the Kings Road to a receptionist/administrator at an engineering company was a 20% pay rise for me, because the retail was so unbelievably poorly paid!

I'm fairly well paid in my current role as the company I work for are good in that respect. I'm also eligible for up to 100% of salary in bonuses so can be quite profitable, however, I really want to move into hr so don't want the money to rule me too much as I know it's short term. They have also agreed to allow me to spend some time with our head office hr team while I am back in work (although I'm not sure how much time etc yet).

You could look for admin based jobs in local charities, sometimes you'll get hybrid roles that pay more than basic admin.

If you work for a company large enough to have a central HR dept then honestly an internal move is probably your best bet. They will be willing to take a punt on you far more than another organisation will.

I have considered that, although there aren't any current vacancies that might change by the time I'm back. The problem is it's approx 1.5hr each way commute so not sure it's what I'd want to do long term. That said if it gave me the experience I needed I could deal with it short term.