Something we’ve heard from candidates too many times to count is that they’d love to work in HR, but they don’t have any HR experience.
And here’s what we usually say back: you might have more than you think.
Plenty of people who work in HR didn’t start that way. They started working at a front desk or building the schedule at a busy dentist’s office. Or running payroll for their boss because nobody else wanted to.
HR is one of those fields where we think the skills matter way more than the title you had when you learned them.
(We’re a firm literally called That’s Good HR so we’ve seen this play out a lot.)
If you’ve been eyeing the HR field from the outside, this is a post letting you in on how people actually get into it.
TLDR: You can break into HR without HR experience. Target entry-level roles like HR Assistant or Recruiting Coordinator. Reframe the transferable skills you already have. Learn a few HR basics before you apply. Then get in front of employers who are open to career changers. (A recruiter can help a lot with that last part.)
Why HR Is More Open to Career Changers Than You’d Think
Think about what HR actually work involves day to day…
- Keeping sensitive information private
- Keeping track of details and paperwork
- Explaining policies to people who may not love hearing them
- Staying calm when things get messy
None of these things is really exclusive to HR departments.
A lot of HR jobs also open up at companies that are just starting to build out HR. At some point, a growing small business realizes the owner can’t keep juggling hiring, onboarding, and payroll questions on top of everything else.
When that happens, they need someone organized, trustworthy, and willing to learn.
That’s your foot in the door.
Entry-Level HR Jobs to Look For
One thing to be aware of is that HR job titles can be a little all over the place. One company’s “HR Coordinator” is another company’s “HR Generalist.” This means you should put more focus on the job duties listed, not just the title.
Here’s what some of the HR roles we hire for most often look like in their day-to-day duties:
- HR Assistant
Admin support for the HR team. Onboarding paperwork, filing, scheduling, and a whole lot of employee questions. This is one of the most common starting points. - HR or Onboarding Coordinator
You’re the person who makes a new hire’s first week go smoothly. Lots of logistics and communication, plus a little hospitality. - Recruiting Coordinator
You schedule interviews, communicate with candidates, and keep the hiring process moving. Great fit if you’re organized and like talking to people. - Payroll or Benefits Assistant
Details, numbers, and systems. This one’s a bit of a hidden gem because it can lead into HR or into accounting and finance roles. One job, two career paths. - Office Manager (with HR duties)
At smaller companies, the office manager often is the HR department. If you’ve done this job, you may already have HR experience you haven’t been counting.
Related Post: From One Job Placement to 20+ Years: Natasha’s Career Story
The Skills You Already Have (and How to Talk About Them)
Most people have more transferable skills that will help them land an HR job than they think. Chances are you are probably underselling what you can do. If you’ve got background in any of these roles, you’re already halfway there:
- Administrative or Executive Assistant: Juggling priorities, handling confidential info, and coordinating onboarding logistics. (Psst…You’ve been HR-adjacent for a while.)
- Customer Service: De-escalation, patience, and explaining policies clearly. Employee questions are basically customer service questions from people who work there.
- Retail or Restaurant Management: Hiring, scheduling, training, attendance issues, and the occasional tough conversation. You’ve been doing HR in a name tag.
- Payroll or Bookkeeping: Accuracy, systems, and deadlines that can’t slip. HR teams love someone who gets the numbers right.
- Teaching or Training: Onboarding and training new employees draws on the same skills you’ve been using in a classroom.
Go check your resume and make sure any of these skills are called out specifically.
So, instead of:
- Managed store schedule
You’d want to say something more like:
- Build weekly schedules for 22-person team, handling hiring and onboarding
See how the same job can look totally different on paper with the right framing? Only one of those reads like HR experience. (We’ll let you guess which one.)
Related Post: Resume Trends to Know Before You Apply in 2026
What to Learn Before You Apply
You don’t have to be an employment law expert to get your first HR job. A little HR homework will go a long way, though.
Learn some HR basics. Know what FMLA is, the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees, and what an I-9 is for. You don’t need to be an expert, just familiar enough to follow the conversation.
List the systems you’ve used. Have you worked in ADP, Paychex, Paylocity, or any scheduling or applicant tracking software? Put that on your resume. Employers will definitely notice.
Brush up on your Excel skills. HR runs on spreadsheets more than people expect.
Consider a certification (maybe). HRCI’s aPHR is designed for people who are new to HR. Basically, it’s a nice signal, but it won’t guarantee you an HR job. Side note: We’ve hired tons of people without one so it’s not always necessary.
How to Answer “Why HR?” in an Interview
We guarantee you will get this question in an interview, so you better have a real answer ready.
Don’t say “I’m a people person.” (Every recruiter has heard this approximately 4,000 times.)
Share a specific moment instead, like maybe it’s the time you:
- Trained a new hire who ended up getting promoted to a new role
- Fixed a messy scheduling or onboarding process
- Handled a tough employee situation with care
Also be ready for questions about confidentiality and difficult conversations.
Really good HR people are kind, but you also have to enforce policy, deliver hard news, and stay neutral. Showing you understand both sides tells an employer that you know what the job actually involves and are prepared for it.
Temp-to-Hire Can Be Your Way In
There’s a totally sneaky-effective way to break into a new field and it’s one of the things we recommend to anyone thinking about changing careers. It’s temp-to-hire employment. If you’ve never considered this type of arrangement you should read up on it more here.
While some employers do get cold feet about hiring a person without any dedicated HR experience on their resume, temp-to-hire roles are a great way to break the ice.
In a temp-to-hire role, you’ll be getting real HR experience right away, and the employer gets to see your work before making a permanent decision. It’s a lower-risk situation for everyone.
We’ve seen temp roles turn into long-term careers more times than we can count.
FAQs: Breaking Into HR
Yes, in many cases. Plenty of entry-level HR roles put more weight on relevant skills and experience than on a specific degree. Some employers do prefer one, so read each posting carefully, but also don’t count yourself out if you don’t meet every requirement. (More on that myth here.)
HR Assistant and Recruiting Coordinator roles are two of the most common starting points. They reward organization and communication, which you can show from almost any previous job.
It can help. The aPHR is built for people with no HR experience and shows you’re serious. It’s worth it if you have the time and budget, but it isn’t a requirement for most entry-level roles.
It depends on the company. At smaller organizations, you’ll often take on more responsibility sooner because there are fewer people to share it with. At larger ones, the path may be more structured. Either way, being curious and volunteering for new projects can go a long way.
How That’s Good HR Helps Career Changers
A resume can only say so much.
That’s where one of our recruiters can call a hiring manager and say, “She doesn’t have an HR title yet, but here’s why I think she’d be great.” This is the exact conversation we have on a daily basis, going to bat for our job seekers. And, sorry to say, a boring old job board like Indeed or LinkedIn can’t do the same for you.
At That’s Good HR, HR placements are a big part of what we do, and we’re always looking for candidates whose skills don’t fit neatly into one job title.
Browse our open HR jobs or submit your resume and let’s talk about where your experience could take you.
