Informing employer that you're wanting a career change

richdeniro

Hi There,

Apologies for the long post.

I currently have been working in the finance department of a media company as a accounts assistant for around 18 months now but over the last few months have decided that I need a career change.

I'm in my mid-late 30s now and ever since redundancy from a public sector finance role in 2012 have been questioning my career choice (I kind of fell into finance/accountancy after uni) and decided to bit the bullet this year to take up the CIPD in an attempt to move into HR.

I've become quite disillusioned with finance for the following reasons:

Finance and Accountancy does not come naturally to me, I'm fine with the transactional side like raising & posting invoices, reconciliations and that kind of thing but when it gets to journals, management accounts, etc then it just gets a bit beyond me

I feel like I am standing still being an accounts assistant, I'm earning 8k less than in 2012 and haven't had a pay-rise in years with no real hope of getting one unless I move into a more senior finance role which is something that doesn't seem appealing

I have never felt much job security being in finance, there seems to be so much competition particularly in London for these types of roles and I always worry that whoever I am working for might get rid of me and replace me with someone cheaper

I have tried a few times to do CIMA but I just cannot take it in or understand it, I find it boring and get easily distracted

I worry that my lack of knowledge/interest in finance will get found out and what I'm doing in my job is actually correct and I will be replaced which gives me a lot of anxiety

Recently we have had to make sure we are SOX Compliant which has tripled my workload. I literally am having to account for every penny which in a media firm where everyone has a company credit card is a soul destroying task

In my last few private sector finance roles I have found that the culture within finance roles is working long hours and not being able to take much time off due to month end, payroll and reporting deadlines - I have only managed to take 4 days annual leave this year because of the workload

Overall I guess that you can tell that a finance role just isn't for me so need a change and earlier this year decided that HR was something I wanted to pursue. The company I work for is quite small and so I have taken responsibility for the finance side of HR - i.e. payroll and benefits as well as offering to help out the HR director with any ad-hoc tasks that she might need. I also started Level 5 CIPD (out of my own pocket) in April and am blitzing it mainly because it is a subject that I do find interesting and it does seem to come naturally to me. In my public sector role my job was actually 'Finance & HR Assistant' (although it was probably 90% finance/10% HR) so I do have some previous experience.

My aim is to pass the CIPD within the first couple of months of 2018 which would coincide with my yearly review where I sit with my boss (the CFO), the COO and HR director to discuss how I'm getting on, go through my personal performance plan and that kind of thing. I will then tell them my thoughts about my role and how I want to move into a HR role and do not really want to do finance anymore.

I guess the reason I'm posting this here is for any advice as to whether I should wait until then and for any thoughts on how I can break it to them. My boss is a nice guy and I also don't want to make him feel bad as he's kind of been assigned as my mentor and thinks that I am currently working towards the CIMA.

I am also worried about how they will react and if there will actually be enough work for me to move to the HR department. I can envision that they will try to placate me by giving me a few HR jobs but will want me to still sit within the finance team and continue doing many of the finance tasks that are my responsibility but that doesn't appeal at all as I'd rather have a clean break.

Any thoughts would be most welcome and thanks in advance.

Savvy_Sue

I don't think I'd wait until your annual review when your manager thinks you're working on CIMA and you're not.

Take a long hard look at your current employer: is there an HR job needing to be done there? If there are several members of staff with an HR label, then keep your ear to the ground of anyone leaving, and maybe talk to the HR director sooner rather than later about your interest in that kind of work.

Otherwise look around elsewhere.

richdeniro

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I don't think I'd wait until your annual review when your manager thinks you're working on CIMA and you're not.

Take a long hard look at your current employer: is there an HR job needing to be done there? If there are several members of staff with an HR label, then keep your ear to the ground of anyone leaving, and maybe talk to the HR director sooner rather than later about your interest in that kind of work.

Otherwise look around elsewhere.

I'm worried that if I tell them now that I'm not doing CIMA then they might get rid of me though and having not completed the CIPD I'd probably have to get a temp finance job. I also have a mortgage and don't really want to be unemployed for any length of time.

Being a small growing company roles are constantly changing. We have a HR Director and HR Manager who do the bulk of the HR work. I am good friends with the HR Manager so was going to speak to her once I've passed CIPD and get her thoughts as a friend who works within that specific team.

Wyndham

Not to be blunt (OK, maybe a little) - you're not enjoying your job, but that's true for many people. Part of working is that we all have to do things we don't want to do, and while I'd love the world to be different to that, it really isn't.

You're currently being paid to do a job. This is the relationship between you and the employer. If you can't do that job, you have a couple of options, which come down to either ask for help or get out. If you don't do either, and just let it run, then frankly you may find the decision is made for you (I note you've been there 18 months, in the first 2 years, they can just let you go and not give a reason, and unless you can show it was discrimination, you won't have any comeback).

I don't mean to be unkind, I really don't, but I'm not quite sure this works as you think it does.

If you feel you want a career change, then grab it with both hands and go for it. From what you've said, it doesn't sound as if the opportunity will be with your current company. So look around, and see if it is possible elsewhere. You may need to look at options, and options may well involve less money while you train, and again, you need to evaluate that. But if you choose to stay where you are, they will expect you to do the CIMA, and if you don't, they will be justified in getting rid of you.

I know, it's harsh. But I suspect that at the moment you are not doing either them or yourself any favours. Sorry to be the one to say it!

BorisThomson

Have you looked into what CIPD entails at the higher levels? It's pretty similar to the strategic element of CIMA.

Are you willing to take a pay cut? With little operational experience and no strategic experience you will be looking at an entry level position.

xapprenticex

sounds like the BBC, if it is, i have a friend who works in HR there and from what ive been told, its monotonous and a nightmare. i work in finance and the only time when holiday is restricted is month leading to end of financial year and im one of the managers so it would be even easier for normal staff to get time off.

if you have only had 4 days off then no wonder you want out. i advise you find a better manager organisation.

RADDERS

xapprenticex wrote: »

sounds like the BBC, if it is, i have a friend who works in HR there and from what ive been told, its monotonous and a nightmare. i work in finance and the only time when holiday is restricted is month leading to end of financial year and im one of the managers so it would be even easier for normal staff to get time off.

if you have only had 4 days off then no wonder you want out. i advise you find a better manager organisation.

Sorry to disagree but I worked in finance and we were not allowed any time off just after month end until all the reports had been finished and signed off, normally about 2 weeks. Then there was quarter end and half year end and year end when a host of other reports needed producing and reconciling it was always difficult trying to fit holidays in.

BorisThomson

xapprenticex wrote: »

sounds like the BBC, if it is, i have a friend who works in HR there and from what ive been told, its monotonous and a nightmare. i work in finance and the only time when holiday is restricted is month leading to end of financial year and im one of the managers so it would be even easier for normal staff to get time off.

if you have only had 4 days off then no wonder you want out. i advise you find a better manager organisation.

I expect the HR function at the BBC has more than two members of staff!

TELLIT01

Worth bearing in mind that just because you are working toward HR qualifications, doesn't mean (a) that there will be any HR vacancies in your organisation and (b) that even if there are, that you would automatically get the job.

richdeniro

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Worth bearing in mind that just because you are working toward HR qualifications, doesn't mean (a) that there will be any HR vacancies in your organisation and (b) that even if there are, that you would automatically get the job.

This is my main worry.

Could they sack me if I broke the news to them after having been there for 2 years?

I mean if there isn't any roles for me in HR with them I will likely start looking for a new job but I cannot afford to be unemployed for any length of time.

I mean I would still be professional and continue to do my job.

TELLIT01

You can't be sacked for not enjoying your job, or for considering a change of direction. However, if your employer thinks your performance has dropped there is the potential performance appraisal etc which could lead to dismissal. There are a number of stages things would have to go through before getting to that stage.