Anna Greenslade

How did university prepare you for your career?

By offering the opportunity to complete a three-month internship, this gave me the chance to experience a real-life business environment, which improved my confidence drastically. As the course is so generic, it allows you to explore many aspects of business, which prepares you for when you are working.

Favourite Solent memory?

Presenting to the CEO of Marwell Zoo – exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and a huge learning curve.

Tell us a little about your career story so far

I started my career in human resources in May 2016 as an HR and payroll assistant. I am currently studying for a PgD in personnel and development at Solent while achieving my Level 7 CIPD. Within a year I have been promoted to HR executive, which has given me more responsibility with the strategic side of HR, as well as some new projects within the company. Studying for my PgD and CIPD is helping me immensely alongside work. I started just over a year ago knowing very little about HR, and now, a year on, I feel confident in many aspects of HR and am excited about where my career is going to take me. When I first started university I didn’t know what I wanted to specialise in, however, with all of the challenges I had to face in my degree, this has helped me grow into the person I am now.

Tell us about what you're doing now and what it involves – a typical working day

I work for Hi-Tech Mouldings, which is an independent plastic mouldings manufacturing company. We have 140 permanent employees in the company and my day-to-day work can involve disciplinaries, absence management, managing our temporary workforce, grievances, weekly payroll, tribunal cases, strategic HR, implementing new benefits, employee engagement, recruitment, onboarding, employment law, and lots more. I never know what I am coming into every day, which is so motivating.

What’s been your career highlight so far?

Being in an interview on the Tuesday, then being offered the job and interviewing someone on the other side of the table on the Wednesday!

What tips would you give to someone wanting a career in your industry?

Go for it. Don’t be shy. The manufacturing industry is by no means glamorous, but it certainly gives you the most incredible amount of exposure and a lot of people problems – I love it! I would recommend such a generic role for someone graduating and wishing to specialise in HR.