Just catching up on my reading this week. I like that you give some solid advice to entry level HR employees, give them an alternative (freelance work) and some suggestions on how to make it “ok”. As someone who has been in HR for awhile, I can tell you that once you start doing the more complex work, you quickly realize that you couldn’t possibly have done it years earlier. Like you, and many creative and driven entry level hires, I always wanted to do more. Thank goodness I had good bosses that let me watch and they explained the what/ how/ why to me as I went along. BUT, at no point was I ready to handle the job they had. Not until time passed and I truly gained the experience. Difficult to hear, I know. The worst thing that can happen if you don’t take it slow in HR is that you can wind up in a situation that quickly gets you in over your head from an investigation standpoint (for example, workplace violence or sexual harassment case).

So, when at work, keep listening and asking questions. And, take your advice on freelance work to get more creativity and responsibility.
.-= Trish McFarlane´s last blog ..Mobile Technologies You’ll Want =-.

I agree with you 100% Trish. I’ve been in HR for 23 years and if you get slammed with a situation that you’re not prepared to handle, there are far too many consequences. I remember my first HR job and all I felt that I was doing was “grunt work.” I was there for 8 years and my manager (VP of HR) had me in on every meeting. I kept my mouth shut, even though I had an opinion, but all of that exposure allowed me to be better equipped for my next position — and so on.

You might be able to “wing it” when it comes to work that’s related to benefits or comp — you can do research and figure it out. Never, ever try and predict the behavior or reaction of a human being. That’s the area you will never have perfected and that’s the area where we can all continue to grow. You’ll make mistakes and you’ll learn from them…there’s your experience to move on to that next level!