Feeling Stuck and Pressured in HR: How Can I Navigate My Career Path Forward?

Career Guidance Needed: Feeling Pressured in HR

I need help with my career; I'm confused and feeling a lot of pressure. Please give me some advice. Thank you in advance!

I've been working in the HR field for four years, and this is my fifth year here after the Spring Festival. However, I feel deep pressure in this role.

Background and Career Journey

I majored in English and International Politics in China. My first job was as an office assistant for four months in a private retail company with over 500 staff. The boss then asked me to work in the HR department, particularly in recruitment, as he thought I was suited for the HR field. This is how I started my career in HR. I did a lot of self-study to learn HR from recruitment and expanded my skills into training and performance appraisal. I learned a lot in this company, and I am thankful for the opportunities given to me. I enjoyed working in the HR field, but after three years, I left to learn new things.

Current Role and Responsibilities

I joined a larger video website company, a Hong Kong-invested enterprise, where I work for a branch with over 300 staff and two HR specialists. My main responsibilities include recruitment, salary accounting (previously handled by the HQ HR), staff training, performance appraisal feedback, social insurance, HR procedure improvement, and daily management. I have been in this role for two years now.

Challenges and Career Bottleneck

I faced challenges when I had to handle everything alone, but things have improved since a new colleague joined. However, I feel a career bottleneck and immense pressure. I am unsure about my career path for the next five years.

Considering Further Education and Career Change

I did not major in business, which may be a key problem in my career development. I have considered various options, like going back to school to major in International Commerce (one year in China, the other in Italy), but personal affairs currently prevent me. My coach suggested learning financial management and obtaining the ACCA or CPA certificate. I am considering whether to change my current job this year.

I am in pain and truly need some advice. Can someone provide me with guidance?

Regards

You seem to have asked a difficult question, so no one seems to be giving a reply. Actually, a suggestion without knowing lots of connected factors is a dangerous thing, especially for you. In the end, you will have to make your decision.

Career Direction and Education

You need to decide what direction your career should take. You need to decide what you want to do in the next 5 years in terms of a job. Once you have decided that, you should get a degree or study, keeping in mind your goal. In many places, experience counts as much as a degree. But today, not having the degree or formal education tends to hold you back. In many cases, you don't even get called for an interview simply because you do not have the qualification.

Study and Work Balance

You also need to work out whether you can take leave for study (stop work/work part-time). Do you have enough money saved? Or will your company give you 1-year leave to study and come back (I do not know your laws)?

If you can't leave and must continue working, then choose a "distance study" model that makes more sense, but check out online thoroughly to figure out how accepted it is and what is the reputation of the course.

Certification Courses

There are also certification courses where you appear for an exam directly after doing self-study. That too may help.

Career Opportunities in HR

After working for 5 years in HR, moving to finance or doing CPA makes little sense. There are lots of opportunities in HR. Considering your added qualification in English, you may try to work with HR departments of international companies who are setting up offices in China as you will be the natural bridge between the English-speaking managers and the Chinese-speaking staff. Or try to find jobs in Chinese companies moving to places like Europe, USA, or India, where your knowledge of English will give you an edge over others from your homeland.

Regards.

Thank you for giving me a reply. Your suggestion was truly helpful to me, although I haven't made up my mind. I'm considering what I want to achieve in the next five years of my life. I think there are many choices, but I can't have all of them at the same time. Well, maybe I have to sacrifice something to get another. What I should do is decide which one has a high priority.

Anyway, thank you so much!

I would suggest you do what you enjoy doing. If you feel satisfaction in handling HR, then stick to it. If not, then consider changing fields. You can gain knowledge of the concerned domain either by first obtaining a degree or requisite qualification, or by gaining a bit of knowledge and then learning on the job. It depends on where you want to work. In the US, I am told preference is given to knowledge over educational qualifications, whereas in India, as per my perception, educational qualification is a must to get a good job. You have to make a decision based on what suits you. Let me assure you that there will be pressures in all fields, so be prepared to work under pressure. It is part of the work culture almost all over the world. Hope you are able to take the right step.

Regards,
Suresh Rathi

I object Ms/Mrs Saswata Banerjee

Question on Career Improvement in HR

The question asked, "Where can I go to improve my career in HR?" is as simple as the answer, which can be stated and understood by a single word: "LEARNING." In addition, I want to know from you, do you really believe that the question is difficult, leading to a delay in responses (in your words, "no one seems to be giving a reply")?

Well, your response is really appreciable, and I agree that planning and determination are important for career life. To earn basic and relevant educational qualifications and experience or consistent learning can determine the path you are leading. Also, in today's world, not just a basic and good education is enough, but one needs experience, which also requires good knowledge and active skills of not just a function but also all related/relative functions. This can only be achieved if you are determined to work hard and give your sincere and honest efforts by LEARNING, as Erica has done in her career so far.

"Learning can make anything possible" is my belief.

Appreciation for Erica_qi

To Erica_qi: The very first thing I want to say is that you are one of the luckiest people who have been appreciated and provided chances to work, learn, and develop your career, and you perform well too, as you have expressed in your query. Also, you have not just learned and followed the decisions of your seniors but have used your skills, performed your tasks, and achieved good experience. Now, I really don't think you need to take the things that put you in this situation to ask yourself where you are going to be in the next 5 years. In fact, I would suggest you consider your past working/learning years first and appreciate and accept your achievements.

You must not forget that you have earned 4+ years of experience through your practices and consistent learning. Based on your years of working experience, you got a new one where you also have spent a good time, which is enough to direct you rightly where you are supposed to go. However, you are distracted because of a feeling that you didn't major in business or something like that, which is not acceptable actually.

Further Insights on Career Path

What I found in your query is that there are still some more facts you have to share with us about your problem or what is actually bothering you. Because I feel that the way you are standing now, and the journey you have had, is really good and is a good base to make a good career in HR by continuing learning and taking corrective actions.

You said that you have selected a few ways to go ahead in your career/life, but have not considered continuing your career in HR by earning education. Why?

I second Saswata; you must go with HR. I also would like to agree with her statement: "After working for 5 years in HR, moving to finance or doing CPA makes little sense. There are lots of opportunities in HR." You can go for "Distance Education" and some other HR courses such as SAP-HR, which will work for you as value-added skills and give you more strength in your career.

I have communicated with a number of people on the same "CAREER in HR" topic (participated with many experts and industry professionals), and in your query, what I found is "GOOD LEARNING" that I always want to see in people and suggest is really good and is your best weapon to fight with your problem. Never lose heart or allow things to distract you.

Regards,

Thank you for your suggestion. I took quite a long time to reassess my current status and discovered both my strengths and weaknesses. I am still in the process of searching for meaning in my life, but there are some key issues that leave me feeling confused.

My Passion for Problem Solving

I am the type of person who rarely considers the interest in doing things but rather the challenge of solving problems, which ignites my passion. My curiosity drives me to keep searching. I always put in 100% effort to do what I need to do; I aim to excel in my work and be truly beneficial to the organization or company.

Current Role in HR

I have been working in HR for 5 years because my boss wanted me to, and I have learned valuable skills that have supported my work in this company. Currently, I am involved in routine tasks as this is a subsidiary company, where HR may not hold as much importance as I initially thought.

Concerns About Personal Growth

I am concerned not about the stability of my job but about the limitations on my personal growth. This is why I am reconsidering my role in HR. I am unsure of the purpose of my work, where it is leading me, and how to maintain my passion while working here.

I acknowledge that I have been losing patience and feeling anxious since the beginning of the new year. I find it challenging to develop my skills further, and I fear becoming outdated and continuing to perform the same tasks for years to come. This prospect feels like a nightmare.

Considering a Shift to Finance

Hence, I am considering studying Finance, a completely new and different subject, which I believe is at the root of my anxiety.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you!

Regards,

Well, your response is really interesting. I understand you are worried about your career, expressing yourself, and seeking solutions here. We should be respectful of this, and I do respect it too. I understand that your career query and sharing can be a great learning experience for many members here.

It is a good thing that you have already evaluated yourself and identified your weaknesses and strengths, which will certainly help you. You are in this situation because you lack faith in yourself and confidence in your current work. You feel this way because you are not seeking more career opportunities, or possibly your routine work makes you feel like you are not learning. However, you must not forget that the work you are not enjoying today has provided you with great learning and good career options. It has tested your skills and made you feel great because of it. Therefore, you should continue seeking more and further great learning and career opportunities.

Stability in a career or good knowledge with practical experiences is more important for a good career and further opportunities. You have achieved this with your present journey so far and must not take any action that would make you regret your decisions in the future.

The Importance of Basic Education and Career Path

Why do we always speak about basic education and its importance to start with a particular function and related work experience to move on a career path? Why are students, candidates, or beginners always asked to focus on their field of interest to make a good career? These things are basic requirements and needs for career establishment. Initial career mistakes and distractions put people in situations where they face many big problems, and sometimes it becomes really hard to find ways to overcome these problems. However, people blessed with good career options and provided with many opportunities and great learning experiences, even while lacking basic education and skills, must be respectful of it.

“To reach a destination, one has to run on a path but can find many ways to run towards it, along with distractions, hurdles, and many other troubles. There are successes and good things at every stage, but until you enjoy your journey and run by your heart and interest, which is totally in your hands, you can't reach your destination. Losing interest in running is actually your problem here.”

Considering a Change in Career Path

Second, as you accepted that in your initial years of career you made many mistakes, let me tell you that you are going to make the same mistake by thinking of a decision to study Finance, which is a totally new and different subject/function than your career achievements.

You have to control yourself first. Accepting challenges and fighting back is good, but running for many things or multiple interesting things is not good. Here, you have to take things maturely.

In addition, by choosing finance as your future career option, from the stage you are today (by losing present achievements, work experience, and knowledge), you will have to spend more time (as it is a “time-demanding” option) and money to build your career. This may put you in a situation where you take on more worries in the future, which may make you feel bad about your decisions, and that will not be good for you, I believe.

Finding Interest in Your Current Work

Third, learning from something and keeping our interest alive by doing the same work or adding something to our present that helps us enjoy the work is in our hands. But if you feel that you are not enjoying your present because of routine work and feel like HR is not challenging or not giving you opportunities to learn, I seriously advise you to change your perception of HR work and responsibility. Moreover, you need to ask yourself about your real interest, work area, and aim of life and career again.

For example, you are repeating the same query with more key points of your worries to get a solution to your concern related to your career, which is an example of the work you have started here by posting your thread and adding more queries/questions.

Moreover, if you did not know the meaning of the work you are doing, you would not have been able to work until today. But you managed it successfully, as stated by you in your earlier query. The problem is “losing interest in doing,” which is bothering you. There is nothing like a limit, and maybe something made you feel like this because of not getting more chances to develop yourself or not being allowed to spread your wings, which is causing you to feel this way. To fight with this feeling/problem, you have to limit your thinking, which is the best idea.

By “limit the thinking,” I mean you have to stop considering going outside of the present field but work on how to enjoy your present work and what to do to regain your interest in your work.

Lastly, I want to say that there is no problem in continuing with your present work field, and I hope you do not make decisions that you will regret.

Regards.

Thank you all so much for your help during my depressed days! I would like to extend a special thanks to Anil. Your advice has been invaluable to me. I have found another HR job in a multinational company, which I believe will enhance my professional skills. Although I anticipate facing more challenges, I am committed to continuous learning. I always remember the saying, "Learning can make anything possible!"

I will be taking the HR exam as part of my on-the-job education program. Recently, I read a book called "HR From the Heart" by Susan R. Meisinger, which has greatly influenced my decision to contribute more to the HR field. I highly recommend this book to all HR professionals.

I see my past struggles as valuable experiences that will benefit me in the future. By focusing on learning, managing depression, and waiting for career opportunities, I believe I can overcome difficulties and uncertainties.

Thank you all for your support! I feel fortunate to have all of you here.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

I'm glad that you found me able to direct and motivate you to take corrective actions regarding your career. I would like to congratulate you on your new job and wish you a successful and bright future.

In addition to my previous responses, I would like to say: "As long as you are enjoying your work, you are learning. If you are learning, you are strengthening your knowledge and skills, and expecting more significant success in your life. However, one important thing to always remember is 'EXPECTATIONS,' which can fuel many problems; therefore, they must be kept in control."

"BE A STUDENT ALWAYS." ALL THE BEST.

Regards.