Dear Ms. Ankita,
Nice to see you back with another query. I attempt this with the belief that you will understand and appreciate this. I am also sure there could be several young professionals who might have the same dilemma and this addresses their thinking too.
Based on you query and the data on hand I'll sincerely try providing you the answers to the best of my ability.
Since you have some experience in the IT sector, and are keen to work in IT industry preferably. This will be the logical choice as you can build on what you have gained so far rather than leaving the industry and going somewhere else which means you will have begin everything all over again and the experience of 2.5 years will have to be only on paper. Hence eliminate this doubt of your being ot sure if shifting in industry would be a right choice or not. Think it over hard and make a deliberate choice.
Your an MBA-HR is a good entry point, however, there is only one thing about this, and that is was it full-time or part time. If it is a full time course, chances of getting an opening quickly are good, if it is part-time it will take time. The you have no HR experience, directly in HR would term you are a beginner, which is a reality that you will have to reconcile with. However, your previous 2.5 years work experience as an SE in an MNC in the IT sector, is certainly an advantage especially if you were coding, and are able to read and write programs. I suggest you keep this handy and be in touch with this because it will serve you well especially in filtering and initial screening on candidates. Your present knowledge on technologies and the way you keep updating yourself will also be of great help.
You say your main query is about what job profile I should be taking at the entry level.
You ask, "Can I expect job in any other field like Performance Management, Compensation Administration etc, at the entry level..?" and my response to you is a straight forward one, if you are an MBA from XLRI, TISS, etc., yes, else no!
Please do not get discouraged. There is a way out but how you shape to get there is all in your hands. How you make use of the opportunity, how smart you get, how much you are aware of the surroundings, happenings in the industry, how up-to-date you are will all make the difference. It can help you a great deal in moving your career path.
At this point of time with the openings that are seen in the IT industry, being a fresher, getting all the job offers in the field of recruitment only is the truth. Talent Spotting, Talent Scouting, Talent Acquisition are just slightly different name for the same job description which is that of a recruiter, and so all these are just other word for recruitment. And if I start my career in the field of recruitment, can make a move to my desired field later on..? or I'll be bound to stick to recruitment only, all along?
You ask, "and if I start my career in the field of recruitment, can make a move to my desired field later on..? or I'll be bound to stick to recruitment only, all along? and have requested guidance in this matter. It would be great help :)
Here is what I foresee that can help you develop.
At this point of time you may start off as a recruiter, then you can be the team lead for a set of recruiters, and the highest point you can go is to become the Head of the Talent Acquisition Team. Your network, your standing in the market, your influence, etc., will help you move to the slot of assessing the manpower of the organization, and trying to create a pool of talent mainly on the 'bench' that will be avail for deployment into some other projects for which the company will look for resources. You should be then good at 'analytics' to be able to handle this job well. If you are able to excel in this then you have reached a 'strategic position' where you can speak to clients and ensure that such manpower can be moved to their projects and you become the single point of contact for all available manpower within the organization. There are a lot many people in large companies who hold such positions. The companies do all that they can to keep such a valuable resource in good humor mainly because of the 'network' and the access to data base, the connections, the influence, the ability of communicating well etc.
Finally I would want to submit that you to take a hard look at the following:
Have a large SELF ESTEEM....
Have SELF KNOWLEDGE, SELF AWARENESS, that will lead you to SELF ACTUALIZATION.
Have enormous P = PASSION, for anything that you take up to make a career, living, pastime or whatever. In fact, have a passion for LIFE, because LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL AND IT IS GOD'S GIFT TO US. We need to make it that way. It's not enough you being good at what you are, but it's how much of passion you have for doing what you are good at.
Do not become complacent, do not remain static, look always for A = ACTION. You surely just do not want to be sitting where you are and wait for things to happen. You don't have to wait to be told. You must be active, in fact proactive
and moot action on your own. You should be willing to throw your hat into the ring when you are needed.
What we think as logical doesn't count, as several things in life are not logical
either. R = REALIZATION, RESTRUCTURING, RELAUNCHING, RECASTING.. should be a continuous process you adopt. In fact, it should become a part of your professional DNA. The truth is what you realize. It helps us understand, what makes others 'tick.' Realizing from all our experience, there is always a moment that we feel the world is conspiring against us. It could be when you are young, in your middle age, or even later, when you get old. All this to will appear even larger than size when market conditions change, and the skills you have are not up-to-date. So keep E = Evolving ever now and then keep the practice of E = EVOLUTION in your mind as a permanent fixture.
At one time you would be absolutely up-to-date, in fact, ahead of time too, but some time later you will find that some other technology has emerged, replacing the one you are specialized in. You may cope up with the changes or perish, you never know, but the wisest thing to do is to keep evolving as the world around us is constantly changing. So if you truly like what you do, enjoy doing it, but also keep a watch around you as to what else you could 'pick-up' to be trendy, well informed, skilled and trained. In a nutshell this is called 'EVOLUTION,' without a "REVOLUTION."
Never let success get into you head at any time which means you should have tons and tons of HUMILITY. Come what may, do not compromise on "INTEGRITY." A famous man whose name I do not recall said, "IF YOU HAVE INTEGRITY nothing else matters. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE INTEGRITY, nothing else matters."
I end this rather long response with my best wishes for all the choices you would make in life and also this quote of
Dr. Seuss, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."