Returning to HR in India: How to Build a Strong Resume with Volunteering and Certification?

I am an HR professional with 5 years of work experience. Three years ago, I got married, quit my job, and moved to the US. I have been involved in volunteering work in International OD consulting and then took another break after having my baby. I am planning to return to India next year, and I would like some advice on how to build a strong resume. If I pursue an HR certification while I am in the US, will that be beneficial? Also, will companies genuinely consider the volunteering experience?

Regards

Thanks for the reply. Since I was not on the rolls while volunteering and do not have any salary slips or experience letter for my volunteering work, will that be an impediment?

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You might not get volunteering certificates, as not many US organizations would issue one. Alternatively, you can request a reference from your fellow volunteers or employees of the organization where you volunteered. That way, you can satisfy any reference check requirements for volunteering work.

What do you mean by counting volunteering experience? If by counting, you meant that it will be counted as job experience, then definitely it is not the case. However, your volunteering experience will definitely give insight into your strengths and commitment to your potential employer.

Regards,

Others have given you some sound advice. Hence, let me ask a couple of questions before I make any comment.

How long did you work as a volunteer for the organization, and how much break have you taken for the birth of the baby? What did that work involve? Can you relate that work to HR activities?

Please see my comments at https://www.citehr.com/472763-why-hr...anies-pg3.html as to how even a washroom/toilet cleaner can reflect on the importance of his/her work for the success of the organization. In the same way, you should be able to reflect on your past experiences and any courses that you do and clearly state how those can add value for an organization if they employ you.

One note of caution about using professional organizations to prepare your CV. Sometimes organizations may ask you to write a piece about yourself and why you should be considered for the job when you go for an interview. In such a case, discrepancies between your language and that used in the CV will be apparent. As an academic, I have used such a method to identify works that have been plagiarized.

Regards.

Thanks for the reply, Simhan. It has been around a year since I took a break from the volunteering work that I did earlier. I worked as a volunteer for non-profit organizations that involved organizational development (OD) consulting for NGOs. This was a team of 7-8 people providing OD solutions to the clients. The involvement was based on the projects that came along, so I worked on projects that lasted for 3-4 months.

Since I still have time before I relocate to India, I thought of pursuing an HR certification here. I am already an MBA in Human Resources. The reason I am considering this certification is to reconnect with the subjects. Do you think I am on the right track? I need some guidance as this would involve investing time and money.

Thanks,
Shradha

To be very frank, I don't think all the three parameters stated by you, i.e., (1) a strong resume, (2) US certification in HR, and (3) volunteering work, will have great weight in grabbing the HR job, selection of which will be based on talent/intellectual levels.

The above-stated three points make an excellent addition to your personality, which, of course, anybody will largely appreciate when you appear before an interviewing officer.

I do not know much about the 'HR course in the US,' but knowledge-related issues in India, like labor laws, the Factory Act, the Shops & Establishment Act, PF/ESIC matters, and many such subjects, which HR is supposed to be well aware of, I think are totally different from US studies.

I hope, since you still have time to come back to India, you may start preparing yourself by looking at the Indian rules, regulations, and various aspects, so that when you get an opportunity to work as HR, you will be very comfortable and successful.

Comments by Mr. Simhan, Super Moderator, are very valid and carry good meaning. My personal thanks to him.