Feeling Stuck After MBA-HR: Is My Career Path a Mistake or Am I Missing Opportunities?

I am a 2013 MBA-HR graduate. I completed my MBA through a full-time course from a college in Bangalore, under VTU. Before that, I worked for a leading MNC as a testing engineer for 2.5 years. Before pursuing my MBA, I had the perception that having experience in the IT industry would give me an edge. However, now that I am in the industry, while searching for a job, I encounter the following situations:

- The only scope for a fresher seems to be a recruitment job in some random consultancy. No IT firm is interested in recruiting HR freshers.

- The job profiles offered to me are also offered to other graduates (sometimes even undergraduates!). Then what's the use of doing an MBA?

- When potential employers see my resume, I am often asked why I left my previous job, which was considered good compared to what I am seeking now.

- The salary offered is not even half of what I was earning in my previous job!

Even if I disregard the salary factor, I don't see much hope in terms of the job profile either. All these things have led me to a very confusing state, making me think that pursuing a full-time MBA-HR might have been my biggest mistake in life! I am feeling very low right now. 

I am unable to figure out if there are no good opportunities or if I am not able to reach out to them. Even if I take a job in a random consultancy, I am concerned about my future in this industry two years down the line. Will I be stuck in consultancies only because I didn't manage to secure a good break at the beginning of my career?

I know I am dissatisfied because I had professional experience in a flourishing industry, and now I see my career not progressing at all, neither in terms of the nature of the job profile nor in terms of compensation!

Please provide me with some guidance, folks. I need to figure out if I am on the right path.

Thanks for reading.

Regards, Ankita

I could sense your anxiety. But the decision you have taken is not wrong. Enhancement of knowledge doesn't go in vain. For sure, you will find a place as you think in a couple of years, but now you have to concentrate on placement. There are plenty of opportunities in the field; the only thing is you have to search with a growing company and not with a well-established one. Don't give up hope as the HR field is interesting and challenging. Keep trying until you succeed. I know the starting phase may be difficult, but you will enjoy the rest at the best. I am not here to pacify you; the real trend is like that. I faced the same scenario when I looked to find a place to start my career. It took me 5 months to get placed, and now it's going to be 9 years in the same company with fantastic growth. So move forward with the right attitude and don't focus on the salary part. In a couple of years, you will earn more than you require. All the best and run towards your goal; you will succeed for sure.

Considering Alternative Career Paths

Secondly, if you are not interested in pursuing HR, then you can also consider the testing profile since you have experience in that. There is a possibility of moving from testing to HR in the future, so you have to make a decision and move on.

Thank you for your response. I was actually losing hope and getting frustrated. It seems like I am at a kind of crossroads and don't know which way to move forward. I hope that something good will come my way too!