What skills do you think are essential to do your role?
For me, it’s really important that I am on the ball, accurate and efficient with my work. There’s a lot of administrative tasks involved, so I have to make sure I’m hitting all my deadlines and being proactive. My role also requires me to support my manager with career development programmes, so I’d say an essential skill is being organised.
What does a typical day in the office look like? (tasks, responsibilities etc.)
A typical day in my office? No such thing – every day is different! Though I’d say I always try and stay on top of my emails to make sure I’m aware of what’s going on each day, and I always check in with my manager to see where I can provide support regarding career development programmes or training courses. My role involves a lot of administrative support, so I get on with paperwork and updating the shared drives and sometimes work on ad hoc projects.
What is the most rewarding aspect of the job?
I’d say my job is rewarding because I genuinely am passionate about what I do, so going to work every day isn’t a chore. It’s always really satisfying when I feel like I’ve made a difference to the company – my department is Talent Management so we are constantly trying to ensure that we have the best people on the job.
What’s the most challenging or difficult aspect of your role?
I’d argue that the most challenging part of my job is that it’s very fast paced so there is no time to switch off or slow down. Then again, I don’t know if I would like it if it were a slow, boring environment!
What advice would you give to someone looking to move into a similar role?
I’d advise that as a young, new graduate, be nosey and open minded. Nosey in the sense that you should always ask questions and find out what it’s all about – if you don’t ask you don’t know! When I say open minded, I mean that you should be willing to do a few short contract roles just to get experience and get your foot in the door into that area of HR. The more experience under your belt, the more organisations will consider you and see your value.
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