Is Starting in a Consultancy a Roadblock to a Corporate HR Career? Seeking Advice!

Hi all,

I am an MBA-HR fresher. I have recently joined a consultant firm as a recruiter, but some of my friends have told me that it is very difficult to get into corporate HR if you have worked with a consultancy. Is it true that consultancy experience is not worth enough to be considered in any good organization? Should I continue working as a recruiter or should I search for other opportunities? Please guide me on whether working with a consultancy will make my way to corporate HR easier or not?

Thank you.

Hi Jyoti,

I am Tanvini, working with a consultancy firm, Ma Foi. Of course, it is easier to move to corporate from a consultancy. I have seen many colleagues of mine move to corporates. Initially, it's always good to start with recruitment. As a fresher, there is no better place than a consultancy to learn recruitment. So, learn as much as you can, practice it, become an expert, and then move to corporate.

Regards,
Tanvini Gogri

Hi Jyoti,

Firstly, decide on your interest area. If you are interested in recruitment, you can start with consultancy and then transition to a corporate role. However, generally, recruitment profiles are initially offered even in corporate settings.

If you are looking to pursue a career as a generalist, you can explore other opportunities such as starting as a trainee in a corporate environment.

Regards,
Shilpi

Hi Jyoti,

It is easier to move to a corporate from a recruitment consultancy if you are looking to continue in the field of recruitment because your work experience is relevant (good or bad is not the issue here).

To move to a generalist role or any other role except recruitment from a recruitment consultancy is more difficult since the profile is different and calls for additional skills and knowledge. The relevant experience is too little unless things like competency mapping, salary administration, or MIS were part of a profile. So have you decided which part of HR you would like to make your career in? I agree with Shilpi here.

In the end, one requires a bit more patience and wait for the right role unless there are serious personal or financial reasons.

All the best.

Regards, Ryan

Thank you both for your help.

The problem is that as a fresher, I am not getting any good opportunities in a generalistic profile. I can't sit at home for a long time, not because of financial reasons but because I don't want to sit idle.

I just wanted to know, suppose for the next few months I don't get any job in a generalistic profile, would candidates with this kind of experience be considered for any HR profile that involves a mix of HR activities? I am an MBA in HR, and recruitment is not the only domain where I want to gain exposure.

You have all confused me.... Please clarify this, what's the profile of corporate? What's the profile of a consultant working in consultancy doing only recruitments? How does he become eligible to go into corporate after consultancy experience. GUIDE ME SOMEONE.... 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Hi Jyo,

This is Kumar H.P, working as an HR Executive in Bangalore. Every profession has its own way of growing. It's good that you are into recruitment at the beginning stage. Equip yourself with all the skills of recruitment and then consider making any changes or pursuing other interests. However, simultaneously focus on other concepts of HR.

Truly Yours,
Kumar H.P

Hi Jyoti,

It's always better to work in a consultancy for the first 1 or 2 years. You will get enough exposure compared to that of a corporate. Working for 1 year in a consultancy is equal to 2 years in a corporate. As a fresher, I would suggest you join a consultancy where you will be handling many clients; hence, you will get enough exposure.

Cheers,
Manjoo

Hi Jothi,

If you work for a consultancy, you will interact with corporate HR. You will easily have contacts of all your clients. If they are impressed by your work, you will get into corporate very easily. If you work for 1 year, you will have a minimum of 10 HR contacts. So, go ahead. This is my experience.

Regards,
Mukesh

Hi Jyoti,

The best place to gain HR expertise for a fresher is the place where you are currently working. Many of my colleagues have taken the first step in their careers in recruitment consultancies. In fact, MNCs prefer candidates with some HR experience from recruitment consultancies. There is no harm in trying now; perhaps, 3-6 months down the line, you may receive lucrative job offers that are too good to resist. No experience is wasted. At every stage, you learn something new that you can potentially implement in the long run. You may realize that over time, you will develop good communication skills, become tactful, diplomatic, witty, sharp, and alert. Additionally, you may learn to have a thick skin in the corporate world, where you will face challenges from different professionals. Remember, everything happens for a reason, and the most important thing is to believe in yourself and know that the best is yet to come.

Since you are in recruitment consultancy, there is a great opportunity for you to gain firsthand knowledge about existing vacancies. If the vacant profiles sent out by your company's clients interest you, why not consider applying for them yourself instead of recommending someone else?

Apply online through well-known job portals.

Wishing you success in all your endeavors!

Dear Seniors & Friends,

I am an MBA in HR (2007 graduate) from Chennai. My passion is to work in the HR domain and acquire a good knowledge of all HR functions. However, unfortunately, I had to join as a Tech Support Executive during the 4th project semester of my MBA to help my family situation. I have been working as a TSE for about 1.5 years for a reputed BPO.

Now, after being exhausted from the night shifts, I think it's high time to start my career. So, I started searching for HR jobs, preferably in the IT/Telecom sectors, but I have not found a suitable one as companies ask/prefer candidates with 6 months to 1 year of experience, pushing my candidacy back.

1) I want to know if my experience is considered accountable? [I was truly one of the best performers at my job]. I surely don't want my 1.5 years of experience to go to waste!

2) Also, can anybody tell me if I am late for an HR job as a fresher candidate in corporates? Or should I try consultancy firms and gain experience there for 6 months to 1 year, which I don't mind? I understand from the comments on Jyoti's question that it should be beneficial.

Please guide me, Gurus!

Thank you.

P.S. Wow! I see this forum thread is quite old; maybe the people who posted here have settled abroad?