Shelley’s two unhappy experiences were followed by work that restored her faith in her career choice of human resources. JOB 1I found the article in the last issue about false starts very interesting. I had two equally disappointing positions in my first few years after graduating which almost made me give up on my career completely. I’d found myself a rewarding and challenging role in a very supportive Borough Council department the same month I finished my finals. I had a wonderful manager who sang my praises all the time and had a lot of faith in my skills. JOB 2Unfortunately, this was only a short-term project and because it had been such a positive experience for me I drastically overestimated my skills and applied for a position in a small organisation where I was solely responsible for HR. As no one knew anything about HR in the organisation, and as I’d had no previous experience of managing an entire organisation’s HR administration, I soon found myself completely out of my depth and scared to make any decisions. The organisation also was putting demands on me that I did not view as following the ‘best-practice’ I had been taught on my course. Although I got lots of experience in quite difficult areas of HR, I really was terrified most of the time. At my six-month appraisal meeting with my manager I was told my contract would not be renewed and was asked to clear my desk. Luckily, as I was studying for an MSc part time at the time and had many good university contacts, I went back to my student union part-time job whilst out of work. However, I was very depressed. JOB 3About four months later I found a job back at the BC I had worked at after graduating. This started off being a great role for me, due to the support I received, the structure of the job and as the department had taken on four other graduates to work alongside me at the same time. After about five or six months, however, the office politics got ridiculous. Two of the team had demanded a pay rise to our managers and one of the girls was getting bullied by another. Our managers eventually backed down to the payrise but at the expense of one of our team. As I had voiced my concerns about the politics it seemed I set myself up for the chop. I was told my contract would not be renewed on the same day the rest of the team were told they would be receiving a pay rise. JOB 4After these two experiences I was left considering leaving my field completely. If it had not been for the many wonderful people I did meet in both organisations who shared my feelings and supported my career I would have found it hard to look for further roles in HR. My original manager and senior manager at the BC I worked at twice have been wonderful throughout my experiences and backed me up completely. My manager even confided in me that she herself had been bullied whilst working there. My manager at the students’ union was also a great support. An old colleague from my first role at the BC persuaded me to apply for a job at a neighbouring BC after losing my second job. After a lot of worrying about a repeat experience, I did apply for the new job and got it! This turned out to be an excellent position. My manager here was as supportive as my initial one had been and I learnt a lot from him. However, as the project came to an end (as did my MSc), I decided to take a career break and spent one year teaching English in Japan. After meeting many other graduates from all over the world in Japan, I’ve found that many have had similar experiences. LOOK BEFORE YOU JOINIf I have learnt anything from my experiences it is that you should consider the type of organisation and the support you will receive before accepting an offered position. Equally important is the management style of the team or department you would be working within. I now spend a lot more time during interviews getting to know the managers involved and asking questions concerning support. Knowing your own capabilities and needs when looking for your first positions are paramount. When I first graduated, I knew a lot of theory surrounding my career area but not a lot of practice. Although a good graduate job should provide you with the knowledge to perform the practice, there should also be some vent in which to discuss how the theory and practice meet up. This is after all, why graduates are a valuable asset to an organisation - they bring new ideas! | 
