For many senior HR professionals, the middle of the year can be a natural point for reflection.
The first few months have flown by, business priorities are well underway, and annual objectives are no longer new. Yet despite being busy, many experienced professionals find themselves asking a simple question: is this still what I want from my career?
If you have already taken stock of your current situation, as we discussed in our previous article on reviewing your HR career at mid-year, the next question is what comes next.
An HR career change is not always driven by dissatisfaction. Often, it starts with a growing sense of curiosity about what the next stage of working life could look like.
Why career reflection happens later in an HR career
Early in our careers, success is often linked to progression. A promotion, a larger team or a more senior title can feel like clear milestones.
As careers develop, those measures often become less important. Instead, many HR professionals start asking:
- Am I still learning and developing?
- Do I enjoy the work I spend most of my time doing?
- Am I making the impact I want to make?
- What do I want the next ten years of my career to look like?
These questions are particularly common in HR because we spend so much of our time helping others navigate change and career decisions. Eventually, it is only natural to apply the same thinking to ourselves.
Looking beyond the obvious reasons
When people talk about an HR career change, the conversation often focuses on stress, burnout or wanting more flexibility.
While those factors can play a part, there are often deeper reasons behind career reflection.
Many experienced HR professionals reach a stage where they:
- Want greater variety in their work
- Miss having a more direct influence on business decisions
- Feel they are spending more time managing processes than solving people challenges
- Want to use their expertise in different ways
Interestingly, these thoughts often emerge when someone is successful in their role. From the outside, everything looks positive. Internally, they may simply be questioning whether there is another path that would suit them better.
Signs it may be time to reassess your direction
Career reflection does not necessarily mean making a dramatic change, but there are some signs that it may be worth exploring your options.
You are no longer challenged in the right ways
Most roles include routine tasks, but if your learning has plateaued and every week feels much the same, it may be time to consider what comes next.
You have ideas you cannot put into practice
Many senior HR professionals become frustrated when they can see solutions but lack the authority, budget or organisational appetite to implement them.
Your priorities have changed
The things that motivated you ten years ago may not be the same things that matter today. Flexibility, wellbeing, autonomy and personal goals often become more important as careers progress.
You find yourself exploring alternatives
If you regularly find yourself reading about different career paths, speaking to people who work differently or imagining another way of working, it is worth paying attention to that curiosity.
What comes next after an HR career change?
One of the biggest misconceptions about career decisions is that there are only two choices: stay where you are or leave completely.
In reality, experienced HR professionals have a wide range of options available to them.
These may include:
- HR consultancy
- Interim assignments
- Coaching or mentoring
- Portfolio careers
- Non-executive or advisory roles
- Specialist project work
The key is not to find the perfect answer immediately. Instead, focus on gathering information and understanding what different paths actually involve.
Speak to people who have made a change. Ask what surprised them and what they wish they had known earlier. Real life conversations often provide far more insight than online research.
Practical steps when considering an HR career change
If you are considering an HR career change, clarity usually comes from action rather than endless thinking.
Audit your energy
Rather than focusing solely on skills and experience, pay attention to the work that gives you energy and the work that drains it.
Patterns often emerge surprisingly quickly.
Focus on impact
Think about where you create the greatest value. Is it developing leaders, solving complex people issues, supporting growing businesses or shaping strategy?
Understanding this can help guide your next step.
Test ideas before making decisions
You do not need to commit to a major change straight away.
Attend events, expand your network and have conversations with people who have taken different career paths. Exploring options on a small scale can provide valuable perspective.
Your experience creates more opportunities than you think
One of the most common mistakes senior HR professionals make is underestimating the value of their experience.
Years spent advising leaders, managing change, building workplace cultures and solving people challenges create a highly transferable skill set.
An HR career change is not about starting again. It is about deciding how you want to apply everything you have already learned.
For many professionals, the biggest shift is not changing careers entirely. It is recognising that there may be more than one way to build a successful and rewarding future in HR.
Considering what comes next?
If you are reflecting on your future in HR and exploring what the next stage of your career could look like, now may be the perfect time to start gathering information. At face2faceHR, we regularly speak to experienced HR professionals who are considering different ways to use their expertise. Download our prospectus or get in touch for an informal conversation about what a future in HR consultancy could look like.