Thursday, September 06, 2007

How do I see a path like...

Before waging that war, I appreciate to think about career paths for HR practitioners like this… (Between this war and “career”, yap, my laser aiming system is so sophisticated that my life is generally unproductive.)

HR Advisory/Consultancy (I learnt)

Personally, this is not my favourite, though I am quite acquainted with it (since I have a very close friend working with one of them).

Delivering HR solutions to clients are challenging, yet limited – in terms of the applicability of the solution itself. The actual problem has always “contained” the solution to be brought about by HR consultancy.

Perhaps the consultant wishes to provide a fine solution, but the budget, the depth of understanding of the situation would have limited the choice to be provided. My close friend had had a hard time with his ego regurgitating the same and useless solutions (and expensive) to their noble clients.

But still, working with HR consultants is good for brushing up close quarter combat skills with external clients and gather the most “advanced” HR knowledge.

In-house HR practitioner in investment banks (I inquired)

I have a few contact points with insider’s information of i-banks.

For positions up on the top of the hierarchy, life (and pay) is good. What you need are social skills and high sounding top-notch HR technology and terminologies.

For those down below the manager levels, you would be focusing highly on administrative work. Things were set and rules were there. Changes would only be carried out and involved by managers because the information above the manager levels is mysteriously confidential. (But who care!)

I-bank cares less on HR because the dollar terms have been too overwhelming (and distracting, well, to its employees). What i-bank cares about HR are “technology” (are you good at web or the internet?) and fancy HR so-called solutions (What the hXXX is this Wiki-based Knowledge Management System!). Personally, I don’t like it.

In-house HR practitioner in, say, medium-sized manufacturing or retail companies (I experienced and actually enjoyed)

Nice and cool! Though it doesn’t seem like a “prestigious” (and less pay) kind of job, the true beauty of HR usually lies within.

From mid-level to the top of the levels, an HR would have numerous opportunities (in condition that, you must not sit and wait) to get involved in most aspects of HR practices.

In-house MNC HR (I presume...)

If you do feel confident with yourself, MNCs (whatever MNCs, except those EXTREMELY capital-intensive ones) are ultimate goals for practising HR, particularly when you are moving up.

Government, NGOs and “Government-controlled” organizations (I read, from newspaper)

Well, just like i-bank.

************

Goodness, where the HXXX am I! (Well, any other suggestion?)

14 comments:

K said...

Dear CM,

I hope I could help you (maybe my power is very little) to answer your question.

About HR Consultancy, some of my lecturers' career are still working in this field. This post is required for lots of experience in HR field, but mostly you are the "sales executive of HR"! Therefore, your friendship "Network" is very important.

For I-Bank, quite a lot of University guaduated students applied for this job. I have less knowledge for this job, but the knowledge requirement of banking, HR and IT are essential.

In-house HR Practitier & MNC HR, it is suitable for someone who have a certain of HR experience and want to move up a high level HR practitier.

For NGO & Government, may I follow my talk tomorrow?

C.M. said...

Thanks very much Karen!

I very much agree with you that HR consultants have engaged themselves in sales activities very much (sometimes much more than merely providing solutions).

And to supplement "my" view:

i-Banks are full of "professionals". Mostly, these professionals, having an MBA, DBA, CFP, CPA (and whatsoever) are very critical in taking their own preferred method and won't (well, just won't) trust HRM. That's why most HR in i-Banks or professional institutions are marginally influential. Their policy's are reactive, instead of proactive; fragile, instead of influential.

Anonymous said...

C.M. thanks!

火鶴 said...

ten point's deep (十分之深)
I see no bright (我睇唔明)

Anonymous said...

I have a friend working as HR officer in iBank. In an environment of "Everyone is a STAR! (except you of course)" - 正所謂粒粒巨星 - you can imagine what kind of room for HR practitioner there...

One will only be successful with a job you find meaningful. A job will only be meaningful with something you find touching. (it is only my personal view and life objective.)

As a guy like you, having working as a HR guy in a medium-sized manufacturing entity, I also find it the most "nice" environment for a "熱血男兒" there. With room, with hope, with friendship, being like taking a same boat, and with appreciation, quite a good damn place, except for the paid (dup 石仔ma...) It is a place of plenty of room and very easy to get "touched"... (how wonderful it is and you retreated my memories.)

For me now, a little similair situation like yours now, although not in the same field... I guess the most wonderful place is "profitable 'hard-core'(實業) small-medium sized one", maybe 渣SIR's enteprise is one of this Haven.

Although such manufacturing environment is less and less nowadays in HK, but there are still a lot of them which can't move out HK. I even could find one in HK in 2004. Don't be afraid that you have to be back to the PRC for 雲中鳳山莊...I guess you should be glad to...(I still remember 2.5 and 2.7!)

Anonymous said...

C.M.兄,

開拖之前,計一計有d咩Option都係好事黎既...兄台背後仲有Moon姐同DaDa...好多野更加要計囉...

人治部...係AK見過,最政治化既一個戰場...因為佢本身就係一個玩政治既地方...真係要落戶既話,就首先唔可以避免整污糟隻手...

K said...

I continue my preious post.

Some of In-house HR posts (Esp. SME) require of the basic knowledge not only HR, but also admin plus accounts knowledge. The advantage is you could know more about company operation and it is good for further career development. The disadvantage is very high workload. Therefore, the turnover rate for middle-level HR practitioners is very high (referring to statistic from IHRM).

Medium-sized manufacturing or retail companies of In-house HR practitioners are quite demanding in the marketing, as some of HR practitioners need to travel to overseas (such as mainland China) frequently. However, you could learn more skills and practises on HR knowledge in both China and HK.

For Government, NGOs and “Government-controlled” organizations, as a staff member of statutory body organization, I could tell you that:

1) "Just like i-bank?" Sorry, I don't think so. Some people think the attractive point of working in Government, NGOs and “Government-controlled” organizations is stable working environment. I agree. But the salaries of these are being flexible right now, as it refers to the employees' performance (EXCEPT Government Civil Servents. They are moving a point yearly.)

2) The working pressure is being larger than previous and the gossip is more than before.

3) HR practitioners face not only in-house customers (department), but also lots of outside stakeholders.

4) Is it suitable for you to join NGOs and “Government-controlled” organizations? Well, I will give you suggestions by email, if you ask this question to me.

Hope my two posts could give you a briefly picture for HR field.

Samsara said...

good no light, you want rotate work?

C.M. said...

Sam,

Go seek "yourself"!

Crane big bro:

check fact good shallow. no mile oil not light.

Bean:

(都係你講野好d,我差d想死)

Yeah, star! Middle ar! To certain extent, you and I are very alike - both are hot blood boy son.

Man, forget that 2.5 and 2.7! (Though I have been reviewing this post for quite a few times...)

AK兄:

係喇。依家唔係單係自己一個,諗既野,真係多好多。若果後生十年八年,我真係話之佢。(當然,都唔會想太jumpy既)

Karen:

Thanks very much! I'm impressed and feel obliged for your help.

Fragrant water sister sister:

good east light! rotate work? late d before.

Old Cake said...

wow...I guess that is one of the reasons why I didn't go for the business field. It's just too complicated! hehe

BTW, thanks a lot for adding my link on your blog, C.M.! :)

惡女 said...

我畀唔到咩advice哥哥呀,呢啲野我唔識架。但我想講呢,我睇到火鶴同你個回應之後,真係爆笑左出黎。

Blogger70th Floor said...

mat nei dei gong d ye gam dak yi gei~

sun said...

c.m. 兄

你上次介紹既 海權論
由於時間關係,小弟仲未有時間搵黎睇 :P

今次係想介紹返本書俾你啦

黃仁宇先生既
從大歷史的角度讀蔣介石日記

因為黃仁字先生曾親身打過杖同見過蔣介石
所以比萬歷十五年既感覺好唔同

C.M. said...

OC:

Business, to certain extent, is fun! (BTW, your voices are wonderful!)

Angry little sister,

Drunk bad yes ah crane!!

Seventy my dear,

Or dou ng chi dim gai~

Sun兄:

多謝推介!比你提一提,我都攞返本書出黎苗一苗先!(小弟一直對阿蔣介石既評語都係道聽途說,今次有番本“似樣”d,多謝!)