I am Gopal Krishna from Vizag but was born and brought up in Calcutta. I started my career at the age of 25 in the year 1997. I was an Arts Graduate, proficient in Stenography, and well-versed with computers. However, I had to start my career with a very low salary of Rs. 1,000/- per month as a PA to a Marketing Manager in a limited company.
You might be surprised to know that I had to leave 13 companies to grow both financially and professionally. Some of the big companies I worked for include Kirloskar, Garware, Fem Care, Ipca Labs, and Seminis in the secretarial field. You may agree that in the Stenography or secretarial field, there is very limited scope for professional growth, even though we are very capable and knowledgeable. It took me almost 10–12 years to reach a salary of Rs. 25,000/- per month.
I desperately wanted to change my field of work, so with great difficulty, I studied for an MBA in HR through correspondence from IGNOU, and I passed recently. Let me tell you that Ranbaxy was the only company where I worked for almost 4 years. However, as I studied for an MBA in HR and wanted to change my field, I was compelled to resign from Ranbaxy and accepted a position as HR Head in a perfume manufacturing company headquartered in Dubai. I was responsible for the sales staff, accounts, and logistics staff of the company, which had 400 employees. To get the job, I was compelled to lie about having prior HR experience.
After joining the company as HR Head with the same salary of Rs. 25,000/- per month, I was responsible for payroll, recruitment, filing, PF, ESIC, performance appraisal, and all other statutory compliances. It was a retail company in Mumbai with branches in Delhi and Bangalore. I was the only person handling the entire group without any assistance—a one-man show.
To everyone's surprise, I worked so efficiently that nobody doubted my past experience. I was very updated with everything required for the company and was computer-savvy. I successfully transferred manual payroll into an automated pay package with accuracy single-handedly. This was something that could not have been installed in a similar group with my boss as GM-HR, an Assistant Manager-HR, an Officer HR, one IT person, and one secretary.
In view of all these, my boss was so happy with my work and performance that he twice stood up from his chair and shook my hand for my brilliant performance. I was thinking of continuing there, and I worked there for 1.5 years. However, to my misfortune, I learned that a receptionist, who was handling all admin work from the beginning, was in the habit of receiving commissions from vendors illegally. When I tried to take that into my hands and save the company's money, the receptionist was terribly annoyed with me.
She plotted against me by intentionally bumping into me and then shouting that I had intentionally bumped into her. Seeing the situation, I politely apologized, but she made it a big issue, claiming my conduct was not good. My boss believed her, possibly due to an earlier ego problem, as he was not very knowledgeable in HR despite being my boss. He had only done a diploma in HR and was good at wasting time.
Considering the circumstances and the fact that it was a Muslim organization (partial to Hindus), I thought it was better to resign, so I did and walked away. I thought it was the right time to settle in the South (Hyderabad), as I am South Indian, so I came to Hyderabad to search for a job. I tried very hard to get an HR job and was shortlisted in 3–4 places, but they offered only Rs. 15,000/- per month with a bond of 3 years, which was not acceptable to me.
I even tried to get a secretarial job and fortunately got a job as a PA to the chairman in an MNC with a salary of Rs. 25,000/- per month, but with a bond for 3 years. It took me 4 months of searching in Hyderabad to get this job.
However, I am most satisfied working as an HR person. Please advise, what can I do in these circumstances?
From India, Mumbai
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11You might be surprised to know that I had to leave 13 companies to grow both financially and professionally. Some of the big companies I worked for include Kirloskar, Garware, Fem Care, Ipca Labs, and Seminis in the secretarial field. You may agree that in the Stenography or secretarial field, there is very limited scope for professional growth, even though we are very capable and knowledgeable. It took me almost 10–12 years to reach a salary of Rs. 25,000/- per month.
I desperately wanted to change my field of work, so with great difficulty, I studied for an MBA in HR through correspondence from IGNOU, and I passed recently. Let me tell you that Ranbaxy was the only company where I worked for almost 4 years. However, as I studied for an MBA in HR and wanted to change my field, I was compelled to resign from Ranbaxy and accepted a position as HR Head in a perfume manufacturing company headquartered in Dubai. I was responsible for the sales staff, accounts, and logistics staff of the company, which had 400 employees. To get the job, I was compelled to lie about having prior HR experience.
After joining the company as HR Head with the same salary of Rs. 25,000/- per month, I was responsible for payroll, recruitment, filing, PF, ESIC, performance appraisal, and all other statutory compliances. It was a retail company in Mumbai with branches in Delhi and Bangalore. I was the only person handling the entire group without any assistance—a one-man show.
To everyone's surprise, I worked so efficiently that nobody doubted my past experience. I was very updated with everything required for the company and was computer-savvy. I successfully transferred manual payroll into an automated pay package with accuracy single-handedly. This was something that could not have been installed in a similar group with my boss as GM-HR, an Assistant Manager-HR, an Officer HR, one IT person, and one secretary.
In view of all these, my boss was so happy with my work and performance that he twice stood up from his chair and shook my hand for my brilliant performance. I was thinking of continuing there, and I worked there for 1.5 years. However, to my misfortune, I learned that a receptionist, who was handling all admin work from the beginning, was in the habit of receiving commissions from vendors illegally. When I tried to take that into my hands and save the company's money, the receptionist was terribly annoyed with me.
She plotted against me by intentionally bumping into me and then shouting that I had intentionally bumped into her. Seeing the situation, I politely apologized, but she made it a big issue, claiming my conduct was not good. My boss believed her, possibly due to an earlier ego problem, as he was not very knowledgeable in HR despite being my boss. He had only done a diploma in HR and was good at wasting time.
Considering the circumstances and the fact that it was a Muslim organization (partial to Hindus), I thought it was better to resign, so I did and walked away. I thought it was the right time to settle in the South (Hyderabad), as I am South Indian, so I came to Hyderabad to search for a job. I tried very hard to get an HR job and was shortlisted in 3–4 places, but they offered only Rs. 15,000/- per month with a bond of 3 years, which was not acceptable to me.
I even tried to get a secretarial job and fortunately got a job as a PA to the chairman in an MNC with a salary of Rs. 25,000/- per month, but with a bond for 3 years. It took me 4 months of searching in Hyderabad to get this job.
However, I am most satisfied working as an HR person. Please advise, what can I do in these circumstances?
From India, Mumbai
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Career Advice for Gopal Krishna
You have completed an MBA in HR through sheer hard work and have around 1.5 years of experience in HR. Most importantly, you appear to be a quick learner, hard worker, computer-savvy, and, above all, have an aptitude for HR. I feel you should continue in HR as it is a vast field providing opportunities for growth, development, and diversity. With your strengths, success in HR is only a matter of time. The secretarial profession currently has no demand or career prospects.
You may not have attracted competitive job offers due to your limited (1.5 years) experience in HR and possibly not effectively showcasing your strengths and skills. I suggest revamping your CV to focus on skills such as computer proficiency, communication, drafting, and highlighting achievements like computerizing HR processes efficiently in your previous role.
You have taken a significant step by pursuing an MBA in HR and transitioning into the HR field, now keep moving forward. All the best.
Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
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You have completed an MBA in HR through sheer hard work and have around 1.5 years of experience in HR. Most importantly, you appear to be a quick learner, hard worker, computer-savvy, and, above all, have an aptitude for HR. I feel you should continue in HR as it is a vast field providing opportunities for growth, development, and diversity. With your strengths, success in HR is only a matter of time. The secretarial profession currently has no demand or career prospects.
You may not have attracted competitive job offers due to your limited (1.5 years) experience in HR and possibly not effectively showcasing your strengths and skills. I suggest revamping your CV to focus on skills such as computer proficiency, communication, drafting, and highlighting achievements like computerizing HR processes efficiently in your previous role.
You have taken a significant step by pursuing an MBA in HR and transitioning into the HR field, now keep moving forward. All the best.
Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
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As my seniors have already mentioned, please fine-tune your CV by specifying your strengths. Your search for a job in HR might have a higher chance of success if you consider applying for an administrative job combined with HR activities as a second line. I recommend trying that out.
In my opinion, running away due to the lady's threat is not a positive quality for an HR professional. It seems like a lack of boldness or courage is evident in your approach.
Wishing you all the best.
Regards,
Suresh K
From India, Chennai
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In my opinion, running away due to the lady's threat is not a positive quality for an HR professional. It seems like a lack of boldness or courage is evident in your approach.
Wishing you all the best.
Regards,
Suresh K
From India, Chennai
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You have been pretty persistent as far as your professional life is concerned. That's a good sign. I think you should consider taking some certification courses in HR to strengthen your CV while working with the current company. This way, you will not only stay connected to the HR domain but also not miss out on your current job while simultaneously exploring other opportunities.
I wish you all the very best...
Regards
From India, Asansol
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I wish you all the very best...
Regards
From India, Asansol
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Friends have shared their valuable views and suggestions. In addition to what I have understood from the situation, it shows that you tried your best to grow in your professional life but could not achieve what is in your mind. Following are some of my views:
1. Stability in a particular organization matters a lot to learn, implement, and review new techniques.
2. All professional organizations want and seek stable candidates.
3. Frequent changes in the resumes or fabrication of the credentials may lead to rejections; moreover, the professional world is very small.
4. Background verifications shall add fuel to the fire, lessening your chances to get a good job.
5. People and friends will not extend any help if we frequently change organizations.
You might be feeling bad, but my intention in providing my views is to help you. Please forget what happened. Focus on consolidating your resume, reading, and learning all aspects of HR-related topics. Highlight all the points of your success during your Secretarial Job and HR job.
More importantly, your focus is required in a single direction for whatever endeavor you choose.
Best of luck. Again, inconvenience is regretted.
Regards.
From India, New Delhi
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1. Stability in a particular organization matters a lot to learn, implement, and review new techniques.
2. All professional organizations want and seek stable candidates.
3. Frequent changes in the resumes or fabrication of the credentials may lead to rejections; moreover, the professional world is very small.
4. Background verifications shall add fuel to the fire, lessening your chances to get a good job.
5. People and friends will not extend any help if we frequently change organizations.
You might be feeling bad, but my intention in providing my views is to help you. Please forget what happened. Focus on consolidating your resume, reading, and learning all aspects of HR-related topics. Highlight all the points of your success during your Secretarial Job and HR job.
More importantly, your focus is required in a single direction for whatever endeavor you choose.
Best of luck. Again, inconvenience is regretted.
Regards.
From India, New Delhi
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Some very good suggestions have come from the members. You should gainfully use them. It is good to be frank, but it will be more prudent to be selective while revealing certain facts. Please make sure that when you communicate, inform only what is relevant. You should avoid writing the names of companies. Please focus on improving your language and work with resolve to stay longer in whatever field you choose.
There may be many unlawful and stealthy practices going on. We cannot set everything right as most of it would be beyond our approach. In addition to that, there has to be support; otherwise, it could backfire on you. That is exactly what happened to you. One thing that we can surely do is correct and improve ourselves consistently.
Regards,
V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai
From India
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There may be many unlawful and stealthy practices going on. We cannot set everything right as most of it would be beyond our approach. In addition to that, there has to be support; otherwise, it could backfire on you. That is exactly what happened to you. One thing that we can surely do is correct and improve ourselves consistently.
Regards,
V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai
From India
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Career Transition Insights for HR Professionals
It's looking like a really challenging career path. As an HR professional, what I have observed in some cases is that individuals pursue a B.A. degree but, upon realizing limited opportunities in that field, they transition to technical fields like obtaining a diploma and carve out a career in a different way. This can be really useful for a person.
If you have completed an MBA in HR, you can also consider starting your recruitment consultancy if you have a good network of contacts. It does not require a huge investment. A career in HR can be very rewarding for those who have planned their career path in advance as it offers a stable job trajectory. HR professionals can command a good salary after gaining relevant experience, and with your skills of being good, talented, and a fast learner, you could easily secure a position in the HR department of an organization.
This could be the best way for you to resume your career journey. Best of luck for a bright future ahead.
Best regards,
From India, Vadodara
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It's looking like a really challenging career path. As an HR professional, what I have observed in some cases is that individuals pursue a B.A. degree but, upon realizing limited opportunities in that field, they transition to technical fields like obtaining a diploma and carve out a career in a different way. This can be really useful for a person.
If you have completed an MBA in HR, you can also consider starting your recruitment consultancy if you have a good network of contacts. It does not require a huge investment. A career in HR can be very rewarding for those who have planned their career path in advance as it offers a stable job trajectory. HR professionals can command a good salary after gaining relevant experience, and with your skills of being good, talented, and a fast learner, you could easily secure a position in the HR department of an organization.
This could be the best way for you to resume your career journey. Best of luck for a bright future ahead.
Best regards,
From India, Vadodara
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You are really a good fighter. I suggest you try the manufacturing industry or export houses as they can teach you a lot. Update your CV and look out for work-from-home and other part-time options. If HR is your dream, please don't give up. A job in HR is also not very easy, so try even harder and contact all your ex-colleagues for references.
Best of luck!!!
Cheers,
Gajra Bhatnagar
From India, Calcutta
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Best of luck!!!
Cheers,
Gajra Bhatnagar
From India, Calcutta
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Only dedication, firm determination, and aim orientation can lead a person to success in their career journey. Your career path demonstrates that you have been a professional with firm determination. It does not matter that you have limited experience in HR as HR is a vast field. Specialize yourself in implementing local labor laws and in your current role, focus on job enlargement. Gradually transition towards HR functions within the company. By delivering better results, your company may consider absorbing you as a dedicated HR staff.
Good luck and move forward.
Regards,
Soniya Bhardwaj
Head HR
From India, Chandra
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Good luck and move forward.
Regards,
Soniya Bhardwaj
Head HR
From India, Chandra
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My point of view would be if you're a career-oriented person, then certainly you're not sticking to the profile of a Steno. I understand money is something to be looked for, but we must not worry about it if you know you're where you want to be, as the package follows where you tend to give your best.
Career Choices: Startups vs. Big Companies
Do not go for the big companies; instead, look for the startup firms where you can get a chance, be it a meager amount you receive. HR is not a highly paid profession in the beginning, but you need real, rich experience in it for bigger perks. Make sure you put your best foot forward during your interviews. Filter the information before telling it to the interviewer, but do not lie.
Career Advice: Stay True to Your Goals
Do not compromise with your career as this will become a habit then. If you have the will to do it, go for it. You'll have a lot to learn here and gradually earn too.
Best Wishes,
Axita
From India, Chandigarh
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Career Choices: Startups vs. Big Companies
Do not go for the big companies; instead, look for the startup firms where you can get a chance, be it a meager amount you receive. HR is not a highly paid profession in the beginning, but you need real, rich experience in it for bigger perks. Make sure you put your best foot forward during your interviews. Filter the information before telling it to the interviewer, but do not lie.
Career Advice: Stay True to Your Goals
Do not compromise with your career as this will become a habit then. If you have the will to do it, go for it. You'll have a lot to learn here and gradually earn too.
Best Wishes,
Axita
From India, Chandigarh
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I have nothing much to say as your query has been very well answered by all our seniors. If you win the trust of your management, you can express your desire to contribute and make use of your HR experience in your present company. As suggested by one of the members, if your company knows your strengths, it might allot you an HR position someday if not now. Wait for the right opportunity and time.
Wishing you all the best!
With regards,
Vaishalee Parkhi
From India, Pune
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Wishing you all the best!
With regards,
Vaishalee Parkhi
From India, Pune
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I agree with Vaishalee's inputs. I feel you should stick to your present assignment while expressing your HR aspirations to your CEO. He may not give you an immediate opportunity, but in the future, when a requirement arises in HR, he may give you a chance. In such a case, you will not even have to compromise on your salary.
The essence is that you stick to a company, work hard, highlight your potential, maintain a positive attitude, build credibility for yourself, and I am sure success will follow you soon.
ALL THE BEST!!!
Regards,
Gia
From India, Pune
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The essence is that you stick to a company, work hard, highlight your potential, maintain a positive attitude, build credibility for yourself, and I am sure success will follow you soon.
ALL THE BEST!!!
Regards,
Gia
From India, Pune
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Career Transition Advice: From Secretary to HR
Try to pursue your career in HR as it is a very vast field, and you will have promising results. A personal secretary does not have any scope for further development. Even I am very frustrated with secretary jobs. I am pursuing a short-term course in statutory laws and hope to transition into the HR field soon.
Keep courage and never lose hope. All the best in your career, and may the almighty Lord help you along the way.
All the best,
Regards,
Seshagiri
From India, Bangalore
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Try to pursue your career in HR as it is a very vast field, and you will have promising results. A personal secretary does not have any scope for further development. Even I am very frustrated with secretary jobs. I am pursuing a short-term course in statutory laws and hope to transition into the HR field soon.
Keep courage and never lose hope. All the best in your career, and may the almighty Lord help you along the way.
All the best,
Regards,
Seshagiri
From India, Bangalore
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Working as a Personal Secretary is a good opportunity for you. As an assistant to your employer, you will learn a lot of new things that will be an added advantage in your aim to get a chance in HR. While communicating with your boss, you may ask him to assist in the work of HR. When you get a small chance, prove yourself. With the confidence of your boss, surely you will become an HR Professional in your organization.
Good luck,
Regards,
Soniya Bhardwaj
HR Professional
From India, Chandra
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Good luck,
Regards,
Soniya Bhardwaj
HR Professional
From India, Chandra
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