Human Resources, Training, and Recruitment

Human Resources, Training, and Recruitment are vital to the success of any organisation. Professionals in this sector help shape company culture, attract top talent, support employee development, and ensure fair, effective workplace practices are implemented. Roles span a wide range of specialisms, from recruitment and onboarding to learning and development, organisational development, employee relations, payroll, and pensions.

Many organisations manage these functions in-house, while others rely on external HR Consultants or recruitment firms to support their work in specific areas. Benefits of this sector include strong opportunities for remote and flexible working, varied roles, people-focused work, strong ethical impact, and clear progression routes.

Working in Human Resources can be very challenging and very rewarding. HR professionals are involved in every stage of the employee lifecycle from exciting times such as welcoming and inducting new starters to really challenging situations such as making redundancies. The breadth of specialisms in this area can be large when operating in larger organisations with bigger teams, whereas in smaller firms, more ‘generalist’ opportunities exist where staff are required to get involved in many areas of work. HR staff must be professional at all times; they must live and breathe the organisational values and gain the trust and respect of the people they work with.

To find out more about roles and development in this area, we recommend taking a look at:

Prospects: Recruitment and HR - includes useful articles providing an overview of the industry and how to get a job in HR.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (career guides, events and information qualifications) - the professional body for HR & people development has a HR Careers section.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation is the professional body for those in the recruitment consultancy industry working to provide temporary workers and support recruitment of permanent staff.
TargetJobs’ HR and Recruitment page - includes careers articles, case studies and application advice.
Changeboard.com - articles and advice on a career in HR.

Skills employers look for

Every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here. The best place to identify what skills the employer is looking for is to review the job requirements outlined in the person specification, job description and advert for each role you consider applying for.

However, to get you started here are some of the key skills employers look for in this area. On the face of it, many of these skills appear ‘soft’ but skilled HR professionals have to balance carefully operating with their company policies and procedures and within the law, whilst also being emotionally intelligent and pragmatic. This takes a great deal of organisation, self-control and professionalism.

Skills:

Ability to work within defined policies and procedures
Adaptability, flexibility, and patience
Ambition and confidence
Attention to detail
Business acumen and an entrepreneurial approach
Curiosity and the courage to challenge
Customer service
Diplomacy
Discretion and trustworthiness
Emotional intelligence
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Organisational skills and the ability to multitask
Persuasion and influencing
Strategic thinking
Tenacity and determination
The ability to work as part of a team
The ability to work to deadlines and meet targets.

To develop these skills, remember Career Zone offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term. Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.

Gaining Experience

All experiences ranging from volunteering, active involvement in clubs/societies can help you to develop relevant and transferable skills. You may wish to consider involvement in:

Volunteering

Peer Mentor: Support new students academically or pastorally, enhancing your communication, empathy, and coaching skills. Find out more about the University of Exeter’s Peer Mentor scheme here.
International Peer Mentor: Assist international students in settling into university life, developing cross-cultural communication and organisational skills. Find out more about the University of Exeter’s International Peer Mentor scheme here.
Student Ambassador: Represent the university at events, providing insights to prospective students and gaining experience in public speaking and stakeholder engagement. Find out more here.
Exeter Student Volunteer Projects: Engage in community projects through the Students' Guild, including educational outreach or care home visits, enhance your organisational and interpersonal skills. Find out more here for Exeter-based students and here for Penryn students.
Create your own community project: The University of Exeter supports projects that enhance the relationship between students and permanent city residents through the Community Fund. Find out more here.
Once you've gained some form of HR experience, the CIPD runs numerous volunteering programmes for HR and Learning & Development (L&D) professionals to put their skills to use in a way that benefits others. This could involve presenting at schools or mentoring a jobseeker.

University of Exeter Employability Schemes

Include any relevant Exeter Employability Schemes found here.
Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements.
Exeter Award: The Exeter Award will help you stand out from the crowd and give you the confidence to shout about the experiences you've had at university.
The Global Leaders Experience is a unique opportunity to develop your intercultural skills as part of a short, outbound mobility experience.

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities

Undertaking relevant work experience will allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector. As jobs and opportunities are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively.

Applying speculatively involves finding organisations that interest you and getting in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for. Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply, follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.

Get started finding companies using the websites listed below:

REC: Member directory - search for a member agency by specialism or UK region.
See CIPD for upcoming networking events you may wish to attend.
Agency Central: Graduate Recruitment Agencies Directory - search for agencies by sector, level of skill and region.

Finding part time work

In almost any part-time job, you could develop your commercial awareness and gain an understanding of how organisations operate; knowledge vital to this sector. In larger organisations especially, you may be able to find out about the role HR plays where you work. 

Administrative part-time work in an office environment can also help develop relevant practical skills for HR and employment positions.

Recruitment positions tend to be very sales/target driven.  A part-time role where you use these abilities (such as in retail) could help you decide whether this is the kind of environment you would thrive in, as well as developing skills for your CV.

Part time tutoring roles can help develop skills and knowledge valuable to a future position in training & development– though any of the other HR related experience listed here is also relevant. See our pages on Education & Teaching and Aspiring Teachers.

See Casual jobs for other sources of work experience
Exeter Students' Guild – Part-time work within the Guild
Indeed – Apply filters such as "part-time" and “student” to find relevant roles.

Above are some useful sites for finding part-time work in the UK. However, you could also have a look at Handshake, our vacancy database with employers who are targeting University of Exeter students.

Finding advertised graduate roles, placements and internships

Competition can be strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies:

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page. 

Graduate schemes and internships

Search for vacancies on Handshake and other helpful vacancy sites:

TARGETjobs
Bright Network has some recruitment related internships and HR Related graduate jobs.
Search HR and recruitment work experience on Prospects
Rate My Placement.

Placements

If you are interested in finding out more about work placements, you can also access the Work Placements SharePoint via Single Sign-On. This resource covers all aspects of credit-bearing work experiences as part of your degree, including what a placement is, how to apply for them, and bespoke information for international students or those interested in working abroad. 

Further sources of support

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally.

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.

Further study and professional development

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to develop their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. Use the sites below to research your further study options.

Human Resources

A relevant postgraduate qualification or CIPD qualification can improve chances of securing a HR position. This qualification is a consistent and often pre-requisite requirement for securing HR roles, however, it’s not always essential. Some graduate employers may fund or allow you to study for a postgraduate or CIPD qualification during training. It is possible to study for CIPD accredited postgraduate qualifications.

You can find CIPD accredited HR masters courses on Find a Masters, here.
If you would like to remain at Exeter University, you might want to consider Human Resource Management Masters

Recruitment

A postgraduate qualification is not essential to work in recruitment. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)  offers qualifications in recruitment practice and management.  Some graduate employers will fund this where they see the value.

Further information on study & training

Information and links from professional bodies

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector. 

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is the leading professional body for HR, learning & development, and people management in the UK.
Learning and Performance Institute focuses on workplace learning and development, offers certifications and is perfect for individuals interested in training, e-learning and instructional design.
Recruitment and Employment Confederation is the UK’s professional body for the recruitment industry and is ideal for students interested in exploring recruitment agency careers.

Advice

If you are considering postgraduate or doctoral level study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study.    