Feeling Stuck in Training Coordination? Seeking Advice on Moving to an HR Generalist Role and Career Growth

Hi all, I am Jyotsna Gupta and have been working as a training coordinator for about 1.7 years now. The thing that I am unhappy about is that while pursuing my PG, I decided to go for HR and always wanted to be in a generalist profile. However, I did not get a chance to work in that profile. Now, I just want to know if there would be any chance of getting a generalist profile, or if I'll have to stick with this role. Also, please tell me about the future in training coordination regarding growth and remuneration. Kindly guide.

Hi Jyotsna,

It depends on which domain you are working for in the Training & Development department.

Training & Development Domains

One is the T&D department of technical institutions like NIIT, Frankfin, Educational Institutes, etc. (I assume you are not in that field since you did your PG in HR, which I can infer from your query), which is not very much aligned with the profile you are interested in.

HR Training & Development

Now, HR also has a training & development department specifically dedicated to training employees, whether they are freshers or experienced, and facilitating their development through exposure to various programs. Like every other department, HR also has various specializations, and T&D is one of them.

Career Considerations

What really matters here is if you are not happy with what you are doing, then you must consider switching to something that interests you. I would not say your 1.7 years of experience would go to waste, but there will be a change. The HR generalist profile is comparatively slower than others.

You would need to provide specific details about your job to understand the career options in T&D and the corresponding remuneration as it varies significantly.

Regards.

Training and Development: A Specialized Area

Training and Development is, in fact, a specialized area. An HR professional, after going through the HR generalist profile, may desire to settle in a particular specialized profile like training, talent management, O.D., I.R., or Compensation and Benefits management, etc.

It is not known what activities you are conducting under the T&D profile, i.e., whether you are involved in core training functions or mere administrative work related to training, such as compiling data, and why you are not interested in it. You should also understand whether you have a clear perception of the Generalist profile and why you want to transition into it after spending 1.7 years in the training profile.

Identify the area of specialization you have an aptitude for. Take some time to ponder over these issues to make a well-thought-out decision. Experts in various areas here can then provide valuable suggestions. Be clear about what you want and why you want it.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR and Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai.