Career change in 40s - Reward in HR

[Tapticktoes]

I'm thinking of doing a HR masters but don't actually want to go into generalist HR. I'm keen on Reward & Benefits, like an analyst, and try to work my way up to a specialist/manager level, ideally go into consulting when enough experience. Even try headhunting - i'm not fussed on the exact path. I don't want any heavy element of admin or systems implementation though.

Have an accountancy & finance degree from RG uni. Fell into a niche industry then into communications and now a senior marketer (6 fig). So good mix of numeracy and wordsmithing, also managing people (which i hate) and projects. However, I want a personal break and change of scene, plus wind down to retirement (staying out of management politics / more junior) while taking up a new challenge if that makes sense.

Is a HR masters the right route? For a career change i feel i need to take a break and do a masters.

Following with interest as I’m in a similar position and thinking HR might be a good route for retraining and wondering if the masters is the way to go or occupational psychology masters. I work in a mental health management role at the moment, but not sure I can see myself doing this for the next 25 years.

Not all MAs in HRM even offer Reward as an elective to take. When I relocated Stayed doing my MA at my existing Uni as they did reward as an elective whereby the closer Uni didn’t. The people I know who work in Reward tend to either have a background in Finance or Payroll and have then stepped across to Reward and Benefits or they have started off in an admin role and worked their way up.

Obviously, this depends on the university you attend but the full time MA students tended to be international or straight from Uni. The part time MA students were all already working in HR. Therefore, PT may offer better networking opportunities.

Could you join the CIPD and then go along to some of their training/networking events?