Finding the Right Career

Finding the Right Career

with Raakhi, HR manager

Finding the right career path is a job in itself. Due to our common love of skincare I was able to connect with Raakhi @raakhi.tanvi over Instagram. Raakhi is a fellow skincare enthusiast, qualified makeup artist and HR (Human Resources) manager. I had been applying for jobs and feeling like I was hitting a brick wall. I would fill out job applications, make it to the final interview and then fail at the last hurdle. It was exhausting. Raakhi gave me some useful tips and insights. Each interview is an experience, and one to learn and grow from. I thought Raakhi could share her career journey here on I Am BeYoutiful.

1. WHAT DO YOU WORK AS AND WAS THIS A CAREER YOU KNEW YOU WANTED TO PURSUE?

I am a HR Manager for a publishing company and it most definitely was what I wanted to do. However, I only realised after university and having worked for a year in recruitment that it was something I wanted to do.

2. DID YOU HAVE A SET PLAN FOR YOUR CAREER OR WAS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU DISCOVERED ALONG THE WAY?

I think in HR it kind of goes in stages but I guess I could specialise in training and development, talent management or something like that. But for me I do enjoy being a generalist. A HR Generalist means that I don’t explicitly specialise in one area of HR (Training and Development, Employee Relations, Employment Law) but that I have a very good level of knowledge in all those areas. I have subject matter experts that I go to for help with solutions to more complex business needs.

3. WHAT SUBJECTS DID YOU STUDY TO PURSUE YOUR CAREER?

Well, for my undergraduate I did Sociology and International Relations with Business but very quickly realised I wasn’t going to and didn’t want to work at the UN or in politics. So straight after my undergrad I got a job in recruitment – which I hated. But it gave me some insight into HR and after a year I left to do my Masters in Human Resource Management back at Aston University School of Business.

4. WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR TEENAGE SELF IN TERMS OF CHOOSING A CAREER PATH?

That you’re not expected to know what you want to do as a teenager. I took subjects like Biology and English for A-level because I thought I wanted to do Speech and Language Therapy but it turns out I didn’t. So when it came to University I picked a degree that I was interested in. So my advice would be to do subjects you enjoy, as you’re most likely to do well in them.

5. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB AND HOW DID YOU APPLY FOR IT?

After my masters I worked as a HR Assistant at a financial services company. I applied directly via the company website with a CV and covering letter.

I would say that a covering letter is your best tool when applying for a job. Your CV tells someone about your accomplishments and a covering letter tells a hiring manager about why you are the best person for the role. You should always email and ask for the job description for the role you are applying for and tailor your covering letter to that – by the end of reading your covering letter the employers should have a really good idea about your transferable skills and the detail of how your experience (be that work, university or an apprenticeship etc) makes you a front runner for the role.

6. WHAT HAS BEEN MORE VALUABLE IN YOUR CAREER, YOUR EDUCATION OR YOUR EXPERIENCE?

I would say my education gave me a foot in the door but my experience holds more value now.

7. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORST CAREER EXPERIENCE?

Working in financial services as the industry just wasn’t for me. It was a very boys club vibe and I hated it – but it pays well so catch 22 I guess. I ended up choosing job satisfaction over pay and made the move into the creative/media industry.

8. HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF MOTIVATED?

Oh, this is a good question. I’d say, because I enjoy my job and the people I work with, I don’t find I have to motivate myself. Really and truly finding a job I like in an industry that I like is a motivator in itself.

9. WHAT WAS THE BEST JOB DECISION YOU EVER MADE?

Leaving financial services. It was awful; it took a toll on my mental health, as it was so catty and quite intimidating at times.

10. WHY IS JOB SATISFACTION SO IMPORTANT?

You spend SO many hours at work and it is so important to enjoy what you do. Ultimately, work and personal life does become intertwined. Where you work and the people you work with have an impact on job satisfaction and if you’re miserable at work you’ll be miserable in your personal life too. Honestly, take risks and find your thing, find your people, find your industry – it’s so worth it!