You're not starting from zero: The 5-step toolkit for HR professionals ready to pivot

I’ve been working with senior women in HR across Asia-Pacific for over a decade. Here’s what I see. You're caught in a pattern that starts early and doesn't let go.

You went to school and studied what your parents wanted you to study. You went into the graduate training programs that all your friends were going into—banking, insurance, marketing, or HR. You got promoted. You had kids. You built a career and a lifestyle. And then one day, somewhere around year 10 or 15, you woke up and thought, “This isn't what I want to be doing for the next 20 or 30 years of my life.”

So, you think about making a move. And immediately, your brain tells you the story: "I'm an HR person. I need to start over. I don't have the right certifications, the right degree or the right experience. "

And here's the thing that keeps women in this region stuck: YOU BELIEVE IT.

You look around at what everyone else is doing, what credentials they have, what their titles are. You compare. You feel behind. So, you decide you need to go back to school, or get a new degree, or retrain from scratch. Or worse, you decide to just stay where you are, telling yourself that things are not that bad. You tell yourself the gap is bigger than it actually is. It's not.

The real problem isn't that you lack skills. It's that you've been so focused on everyone else's path that you haven't seen your own. You lack clarity about what you actually have, and you're missing a roadmap for how to leverage it.

Over the years, I've developed a toolkit that helps women in HR see themselves differently and take action even when they don't feel ready. Here's 5 tips from that toolkit that actually work.

1. The career audit

Start by looking inward instead of outward. Don't scroll job descriptions yet. Instead, ask yourself: What am I really good at? What do I genuinely enjoy doing? What kind of environment do I thrive in?

Go through each of your previous roles and identify the moments when you felt at your best. What were you doing? What problems were you solving? What patterns emerge? Those red threads are your story. They're also your competitive advantage.

2. 360 feedback

We create stories in our own heads about how we perform, and they're often wrong. Ask your boss, your colleagues, and even your direct reports for feedback on 2-3 specific things you're working on. You'll likely discover strengths and positives that you don't see in yourself. That's valuable data.

3. A brag file

Keep a success file where you record everything you've accomplished. This can be an email from your CEO, a project you delivered on time and under budget, client feedback, anything that represents your impact. On days when you're feeling stuck or doubtful, go back and read it. This file becomes your evidence that you're further along than you think.

4. Your support team

Make a list of the people you need around you during this transition. It could be your partner, a mentor, a career coach, friends, colleagues. Be specific about what you need from each person. Do you need weekly check-ins? Do you need someone to review your CV? Do you need someone to bolster your confidence over coffee? Tell them. A good support team makes a lonely process feel much less alone. It also keeps you accountable.

5. Build your network

This is the one that keeps women in HR stuck. You get so focused on your job that you don't invest in your network. Then when you need to move, you're starting from scratch. Build your network now before you need it. LinkedIn. Conferences. Face-to-face conversations. The goal isn't to have a bunch of online connections. It's to turn those connections into real relationships and real opportunities.

Remember that you're not starting from zero. You're starting from experience.

You don't need a perfect plan to begin. You need 15 minutes a day. Send two LinkedIn connection requests. Research an industry you're curious about. Schedule a coffee with someone in a role that interests you. That's roughly two hours per week focused on you. Over time, those tiny actions add up to real progress.

If you're ready to get that clarity, build your toolkit, and take action, I'm launching a 12-week Job Search Accelerator for Women in HR who are ready to make a move. We work together to refine your story and build your confidence—even before you feel ready.

Ready to start? Let's talk.