Interested in pursuing a career in HR? There are plenty of articles out there plotting a step-by-path to HR success, with clear requisites along the way. This is not one of those posts. Today, I’m going to share my personal career journey and some tips I learned along the way.

Tip 1: Do Your Research

HR is a wide field with a lot of different roles and opportunities. From in-house HR departments to companies focused on HR consulting, there are a lot of ways in. I didn’t start out thinking I would be in HR. I was a Psychology major, planning on being a social worker or maybe a counselor. That all changed when I took a career path assessment at the counselor’s office and discovered “HR Director” at the top of my list. From there, I started doing research and talking to professionals in the field. Informational interviews are a great way to learn about the day-to-day and understand how people got to where they are. 

Once I’d decided that HR was the path for me, I needed to get experience. I started by seeking internships and entry level opportunities while I was still in school. I applied for every job I saw and, to be honest, was turned down by a LOT of organizations. But finally I had my breakthrough. Surprisingly, I received an offer from an organization that had previously rejected me. This leads me to my second tip. 

Tip 2: Stay Resilient

No matter how tough it gets, remember to handle rejections with grace. Even interviews that don’t go according to plan are an opportunity to build and maintain connections in your field. I like to frame failures as future opportunities. They’re a chance to learn, understand what wasn’t working, and try again. That entry level internship was the foot in the door that I needed. I continued to expand my expertise, eventually rising to an HR Generalist. Each role helped me build my skills and understand more of what I liked and didn’t like.

I knew I wanted a challenging role at a place that saw value in HR—something focused more on transformational work rather than transactional. This led me to “Transform Your Workplace”— a podcast by Xenium HR. I loved the podcast so much that I connected with the host on LinkedIn. Two years later, I was reaching out to let them know I had applied to an open role at Xenium. 

Tip 3: Advocate for yourself

Every interaction is an opportunity to build connections in your field. Let people get to know the real you—what you love, what you value, what makes you tick. It’s so important to represent yourself well in every interaction because you never know what can come of it. Even something as small as a message exchange on LinkedIn can lead to something life-changing down the line. 

And yes, I was offered the role at Xenium. But accepting it was a really hard decision. Moving across the country and leaving family and friends for a role I didn’t know I would be good at, at a company that might not be everything I hoped for was scary. But ultimately, I knew that this was a huge opportunity. One that I might not get again. Which leads me to my fourth tip. 

Tip 4 – Take risks

There are always compelling cons on the pros/cons list. But self doubt should never be one of them. Think about what’s best for you, squash your self doubt, and take the leap. Remember, big risks can equal big rewards. I took the role at Xenium, moved across the country and embraced all the changes and challenges that came with it. 

Today, I’m an HR Business Partner at Xenium, supporting small- and mid-sized companies with all their HR issues. I work closely with businesses, consulting on best practices, leading employee surveys and compensation studies, and advising them on how they can transform their workplaces. It’s challenging, rewarding, and everything I hoped it would be.

There are so many reasons to get into HR—and so many paths to get there. If you enjoy working with people, love a good challenge, and are willing to put in some work, there’s a place for you in HR.