Breaking into finance with a background in human resources?

Water Cooler Careers
#1

How realistic is it to break into finance with a background in human resources? Will a background in HR help me at all?

#2

it’s not relevant… you need to create a resume that excludes your HR experience and highlight anything related to finance… your best bet is probably with accounting first… “finance” is too competitive and any thing “weird” on your resume will send your resume to the “other” pile

#3

HR is really the best experience you can get to get into the top finance positions. Think about it, you’re already working with the best and brightest! Why shouldn’t you join them?! You’re placing people that have already been hired - why shouldn’t you get hired? You ask all the questions employees will face - why shouldn’t you be a finance employee? Think about these questions before you go to sleep every night and they will be in your dreams. Thats about as close as you’ll ever get to finance… your dreams. When reality hits - hit the off button on your alarm clock because your 9-5er at HR starts in a few minutes.

#4

Ouch…!

#5

OP, you might not be feeling the love in this forum because HR is not seen favorably as a “business partner” (whatever that baloney used by HR people means) by investment-types. HR and its affiliated recruiting apparatus is often perceived by financial professionals as 1) not knowing what exactly they are looking for and trying to apply a broad solution to an individualized recruiting process, and 2) in some areas of the industry outside of pure asset management roles or many roles in NYC, not knowing how to separate back-office finance people from more “investment professional”-level roles, and trying to equalize titles and compensation levels between the two as if there were no differences, which pisses off the investment professionals.

Having explained that, in response to your question, I would ask – are you 25 or 45? If you already have an established HR career spanning a decade or more, it might be tough to make the crossover. If you have only been in HR for a few years, don’t listen to naysayers. One decade from now looking back, you’ll always feel like you had more options than you feel like you do now – moral of the story is, if you have patience, focus and some modicum of technical ability, many things are possible (up to a limit).

#6

I know one person who went from HR to sales, but she is a very hot woman.

#7

Ouch.

#8

Another prospective Wolf of Whatever Street!!!

#9

lol 10/10

#10

Since when did ACE become Itera 2.0?

#11

If you are a super hot female, you could “maybe” get into back office finance. If a dude, you may need a hacksaw

#12

frustration with his career or whatever got to him, now just venting like wild - coming in hot and shooting from the hips.

#13

Did you watch any movie which excited you to do this? I want to know which movie was it? Wall Street? Wolf of wall Street? Big Short? Why did you choose HR? I see no transferrable skills. End of story.

#14

Did you mean she can trade her hot body for finance job? Lol Hacksaw to slit throats?

#15

Many hot women work in finance as eye candy or sales. If some hot girl wanted to do REAL work but only had HR experience, she’d still be looking at pretty bad odds like pretty much everyone else trying to “break in from hr”.

#16

I have never seen these mythical hot sales girls. Usually they are dudes or normal women. Sales is an underrated job though.

#17

thought that as well. Also find it funny as he seems to have a mid-life crisis every 2 weeks and want to do something else. He also apparently has a wealthy family to bankroll his “let me go back to school & play doctor” while also paying for his “I really need to contact an IB so I can buy a 1-5mm company within the next few years”

#18

Its possible and i’ve seen it.

  1. Work for the internal 401k/Pension plan.

  2. Get the CEBS & CFA designation. MBA will also be helpful.

  3. Jump to investment consulting and/or DC/DB sales job at an asset manager or service provider.

#19

This is what I was going to say. Another option would be product development for an RIA if you have a strong knowledge of ERISA, etc. Probably your best and maybe only options. Then again, you would have to have an excellent understanding of employee benefit plans. You couldn’t just be the random HR chick that tries to lowball salaries.

#20

By far the douchiest answer I’ve read in a while. I think your newest fad diet is messing with your menstrual cycle.