Seeking Guidance: How to Transition from Education to HR in a Small City?

I am soliciting advice from all senior professionals. I counsel many, but I guess I have failed to apply it to myself. I have over 15 years of working experience, mostly in the education sector—training, and in the last few years, administration/operations, and HR.

Current Situation

My company shut down a few months back (I ran a hotel management institute), and I am looking for new opportunities. My resume shows a leaning towards training, though I aim for an HR profile. I have an executive program from IIM and certificate courses in HR. I am in a small city with very few opportunities considering my years of experience.

I just need a piece of advice to address my current situation. I apologize if I sound confused or rambling. I will be highly grateful for your advice.

Cheer up! When you are feeling low, remember good times are around the corner, so do not despair. Use your talents and skills to chart a new course ahead. Even if you have to take up offers a notch lower than your previous position in terms of income or outlook, remember it is only a strategic pullback/retreat to gather steam and your wits about you to forge ahead with a cool mind.

No amount of fretting or losing sleep over your present position will help you recover. Everything that goes up comes down, and everything that seems down will go up eventually. Hold on to your self-belief. With 15 years of experience, you can surely chart your own course. Maybe at the moment you are experiencing self-pity on having to feel low when you had a continuous good run in life, but that's part of life. Do not worry, I promise you good times are just around the corner. Do not throw in the towel; hang on with all your might. Try to work somewhere in your town or Mumbai, or look to start some kind of training exercise for companies or something on your own since you have the experience. When good times come, do remember to spread the cheer and help others in the same position.

All the best.

Whatever one's experience, many times one needs alternative viewpoints. So, ask on, as I also do .

Since you ran a hotel management institute, you would have had a clientele. Can they use your skills? People you have trained are probably working in some hotels. Maybe they can refer you to some opportunities?

Look at the skills you have developed over the years - can you offer them as a freelancer to other institutes? Approach the various contacts you developed during the courses you did and see if they have some advice to offer, if not a position.

You could also make a profile and put it on various portals to increase your visibility. Also, proactively search out positions where you feel you could fit in. Speak to the recruiter or decision-maker concerned if you can to make your case.

Considering a Corporate Role

For a corporate role, a previous background is a major factor. Whether we like to admit it or not, all are risk-averse, and the more senior the position is, the safer one wants to feel in their hiring decisions. So, as already mentioned, if a corporate role is what you are looking for, you may have to start small. Besides, you should be flexible regarding location.

Hope this provides some food for thought.

With your experience and aptitude for training/education, you could easily transition into teaching, guiding, or mentoring young people in your area, even if it's in a new field. Being in a small city also has its advantages, as people know each other well. You have not mentioned the reason for the closure of the institute. Could you continue on a smaller scale on your own? Otherwise, you may have to relocate to a larger city with its associated overheads and adjustments. Think with an open mind and then decide based on how much backup you have—financial, family support, contacts, etc., or any immediate liabilities/responsibilities you have. START AFRESH.

Regards,
Ravi Thakur