Seeking Career Advice: How Can I Transition into L&D and Employee Engagement in HR?

Hello All, I have been working in the HR domain for over 2 years, mainly handling recruitment, onboarding, induction, documentation, employee engagement, exit formalities, assisting in PMS, and reviewing employee handbooks and HR policies.

I have restarted my career after a long gap of over 7 years, previously being in project management and operations in the banking industry.

I am pursuing a PGDHRM from Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning, Pune. I am very keen to steer my career more towards L&D, Employee Engagement Initiatives, Competency Mapping, and more on behavioral science expertise.

I require genuine guidance on how I should proceed further. Which certification should I opt for, and how will it help me further? Or any other way I can move to that area of HR.

Thanks in advance.

Dear Gkasture, I recommend that you complete the course you are currently pursuing. Upon completion, or even while pursuing it, I suggest implementing the knowledge gained from the management course. Beyond acquiring certificates, one should also develop execution capabilities. When executing tasks, you will face challenges. The learning gained while overcoming these challenges will enhance your confidence, which is more important than the certificate itself.

At this stage, you may not need to take any additional courses beyond the management course. I am not against certification courses; however, one should be clear about the utility or tangible results of such a course. Therefore, the certification course should be viewed as a means to an end, not the end itself.

In the HR field, improving oral and written communication skills is crucial. I have encountered many MBAs who struggle to write correctly. Therefore, besides acquiring knowledge, the presentation of that knowledge is also vital. Please do not overlook this aspect of career development.

Career advancement also relies on guidance from superiors or your Head of Department (HOD). A competent HOD can teach you numerous things that a certification course may not cover. However, we do not get to choose our boss, which is beyond our control.

All the best! Dinesh Divekar

Thank you for your prompt and helpful response. I completely agree with everything you've said so far, and I believe that experience is the best teacher. Validation through actual experience, on the other hand, is a certification.

At the end of the day, when interviewing for a lucrative position in any company, the addition of specialized certifications, along with experience, will carry a lot of weight. I am relatively new; hence, I am interested to know what tangible results I can expect.

Exposure to various facets in a live working environment for my career development may or may not be possible if I lack the necessary valid education/certificates. Hence this query.

Warm Regards,
Gouri K