How do i get started? am graduating with good honours in social science and have a diploma in Business administration.

Is there a good career progression with Talent Management Executive??
If so, what and how it's like? Compensation and Benefits or?
isit a good starting ground for non-HR/Biz fresh grads with no experience in HR?

Thanks

Major reward / mgt consulting firms do not care much about your degree though they prefer a more quantitative degree. You need to ask yourself if you are numerically savvy enough for the role. You need to be able to do stuff like advanced statistical analysis, financial modeling and a lot of business research. Most soft subject grads find this too much to handle.

As for the headhunting route, the question is simpler – Are you up for a sales job? Nobody cares about your education as long as you can deliver the numbers.

If you want to go through traditional route then you need to be careful and query more about the job itself. There is abuse of titles like Business Partners, HR Associates, Talent Development, HR Specialists etc. which are nothing more than fancy names for administrators. It is very hard to tell from job adverts how accurately the title reflects the job. As a rule of thumb, avoid local / foreign SMEs and local blue-chips except the 3 banks.

When you ask the interviewer questions, probe them for actual day to day activities. Once you hear things like applying work permits, preparing letters, doing walk-in interviews, running payroll, signing up staff for training, organize D&D family day etc. that means it’s an admin role that you should avoid

See same reply as above.

I'm currently a diploma holder (biotechnology) and have about 3 years experience in training administration. I really hope to get out of this and get into talent management/recruitment/C&B.

Will be graduating with degree in Psy this Sept 2012.

Any advise? Should I take on post grad in HR for the role?

Hoping to go management consultancy.

Your best shot is to go for either headhunting industry or business partnering in a top MNC. Don't waste time on a HR degree.

As for management consulting, you can forget it. With a soft degree in psy & 3 years admin experience, the chances are close to zero.

This thread has been really helpful.

I would like to ask, I have just been shortlisted for an interview for Human Resource Officer.
The person told me I would have to undertake a test before the actual interview consist of calculus and excel test.

Anybody know what kind of calculus or excel test is more commonly used/tested in Human Resource so I can be better prepared mentally and technically. Thanks in advance.

Thanks. If I'm really keen in management consulting, any advise?

To correct, the test will be on MS word, excel and email customer service skills. Can anybody advise?

Sorry, no advice. Your qualifications and experience are just too weak to be competitive.

The top 3 consultancies Mckinsey, BCG & Bain select only a few fresh grads per intake in the entire Asia. Most of the time our local uni will be lucky to have 1 grad selected to join them, there are years where nobody gets selected in the entire cohort.

Then you have the tier 2 firms where most HR management consultants sit, companies like Mercer (they are the ones who were paid 830k to come up with minister’s salary cuts), Aon, Towers or Hay. These guys get to select the top students in our universities to join their program, I had a classmate who gave up 4th year honors straight away when they offered him.

Now contrast this with your background. A biotech diploma holder with 3 years exp as administrator and a degree from open uni in psychology…

I’m not trying to put you down or insult you, but you need to be realistic in your goals. You can go for smaller HR practices in PWC or E&Y, but they will not give a career boost so no point also. Your best bet if you are keen in HR is to stick with the BP route.