Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of speaking at this years’ CIPD Student Conference at Aston University in Birmingham, where the theme was “develop yourself, develop your HR career”.
The day was incredibly inspiring and it was fantastic to see so many people from all different career backgrounds, getting excited about the future of their careers.
The day was full of fantastic speakers, Ian Turner from Specsavers gave an overview on his career but also why HR should focus upon culture, this was supported by a staggering figure that 68% of employees do not feel that their business is actively supporting a positive culture. This is an opportunity for HR to really add value where it really matters.
Louisa Baczor provided an overview of the new Professional Standards Framework which is due to launch later this year and how this impacts on the profession as a whole.
Acas assured those moving into HR that they are not alone with an overview of their services and support mechanisms which will enable future HR professionals to confidently handle difficult issues that arise at work.
Carmen Watson delivered an inspiring talk about how she took control of her career and how she overcame the barriers that came her way. She simply gave a message of “don’t give up, you can do it!” It’s about having the right attitude and doing the right thing, and most importantly, being true to yourself.
There was a host of workshops too, with the brilliant Paul Beesley from Beyond Theory discussing the evaluation of learning; Helen Hughes from Shakespeare Martineau Solicitors highlighting Harassment and Social Media as a HR Headache and Liz Tucker from Shepherd Creative taught us how to networking with confidence.
The day came to a close as I presented my talk on all the things I wish I’d known before I started a career in HR, before finishing with a panel discussion featuring Nick Weatherburn from Santander, Jo MacPhail, HRD Cross Country Trains, Ian Turner from Specsavers and little old me!
I have not spoken publicly before so this was a new experience and thank you for making me feel so welcome. A big thank you to Ceri Cooper who supported me on the day, it’s a great feeling having your family around for a career milestone!
It’s safe to say a brilliant day as had by all, for those who popped over and said hello, it was a pleasure to meet you and a big high-five to the MAP committee who organised the event, Aston University for making the day run like clock work and last but not least to Richard Goldsbrough for being a brilliant host.
Hope too see you all there next year!
Natalie Ellis HR 
Natalie, I saw you at the student conference in Birmingham and you were fantastic – very inspiring. I can’t believe it was your first time at public speaking! Very well done!
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Wow Lorraine that’s a huge compliment, you’re too kind. It was such a fun event and a pleasure to talk at
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