HR is terrifying

This month, Andrew has entrusted me with the responsibility of writing a piece for the monthly blog.

Whilst it was a great honour for him to bestow such a prestigious task upon me, it gives the daunting job of finding something to talk about.  The logical place to begin would be how I started working for Andrew.

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The Big Bang Theory

It was actually never in my plan to end up here.  I’d graduated with a degree in Astrophysics in summer of 2021 and my goal was to jump on to a graduate scheme or similar after.  I was in the process of applying for a promising opportunity at a big company and while I was waiting for the extensive application process to conclude, I’d applied for Universal Credit.

My work coach was not particularly responsive to this and began to bombard me with some positions through the government’s Kickstarter scheme, presumably to move me on and improve their numbers as fast as possible. I agreed to go to some interviews mainly to keep her happy whilst I was searching for jobs that I was actually interested in.

HR is terrifying

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I ended up talking with Andrew about a position as a HR assistant.  Prior to this conversation, HR was not an industry that I had ever considered taking a position in and, as someone who has experienced social anxiety, a job revolving entirely around people was terrifying!

Talking with Andrew and understanding the position changed my outlook.  Andrew was also welcoming of the fact that I was also in the application process for another role and that if I were lucky enough to get accepted then he would be happy for me to pursue the opportunity.  I also felt it was a place I could bring something new to the table, experience a new field and work in a small team of great people.

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Time to move on

I have been working for AJB HR Consultancy for over three months now and I have enjoyed my time here, but after a five-month application process with the aforementioned opportunity, I will soon be moving on.  I have learnt a lot about the industry as well as transferable skills such as communication and adaptability.  

Perhaps the most important aspect of this job has been organisational skills including task prioritisation and time management.  An attention to detail has also been very important and personally this is something that I’m working on.

The kickstart to my career

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Based on my experience with the Kickstarter scheme it seemed like a great way to get people into work and something that could help people in all situations. Personally, I found the Job Centre very keen to push people down this route and ignore other options, which isn’t ideal as it won’t work for everyone.  However, for a lot of people of all ages and backgrounds, the opportunity to explore new career paths or helps them get a job to provide them with income to support their family.  The scheme also gives new businesses the opportunity to grow without so much risk.

Of course, it has its downsides (namely a high cost to the government) but it is a shame that it is ending entirely.  We can see that it has been a success from the fact that it was extended beyond its original finishing date, but there’s no reason why a similar scheme (perhaps providing 50% of the national minimum wage to reduce costs) could not become a long running scheme.  

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