Hello,I have 3 1/2 years working for 2 of the big consulting firms doing what would be termed OD consulting or Human Capital etc.My long term goal is to work in industry in HR but will consulting work enable me to move into HR or do you need HR industry experience (e.g. as an HR officer) to be eligble for most jobs?FYI I'm currently undertaking the CIPD

I'm sure it's possible, although you'd probably need to spend some time (albeit not too long) in an entry level position understanding the HR processes. From my experience an HR function would snap you up, provided you applied at the right initial level. I doubt you'd be able to hop into an HR manager role immediately.

Thanks Tom.Would the career progression be the same (as quick) as consulting? HR Director salaries are very good, comparable to senior manager salaries in consulting but I'm not sure how long it would take to get there.

Usually you'll need to have completed your CIPD; although most HR Managers are generalist in remit, having a niche specialism alongside it can add value and lead to some interesting projects for your employer internally.Progression is slow compared to consulting though - Director level roles don't open up as often of course, and competition for them is fierce, but there is a small talent pool of people who operate at that level. It might sound sexist (not meant to be) but HR does attract more female than male professionals and of course as many will leave the career track for family reasons, so the race thins out for those that remain of either gender.Worth noting that in most organisations, HR Directors don't sit on or influence the board though, although this is starting to change as talent strategies are tied closer to P+L.

Agreed with Mars - progression not as swift, though i think with your consultancy history it wouldn't take too long to get to Manager level. The time would be longer stepping up to Director level. Your history (i hope!) will have given you a more strategic view than those trained & brought up through HR ranks.

So it goes HR Manager>>HR Director? Would that timeframe be about 5 yrs or more like 10+? I am male and interestingly although HR is dominated by women, HR director jobs are dominated by men!

For the reason I just stated - not sure how interesting that is though.HR Manager - Director can, depending on the size of the organisation, and more specifically your 'customer' base, to use the HR jargon, be the same thing: title is less relevant than being the most senior HR professional in the place, so an HR Manager in a firm of say 200 people will have as much influence as someone carrying the Director title in a company of 5000 etc. You see how this goes. Making the transition is largely about getting the experience of increasing size/complexity of customer base, so it's down to the individual. Generally speaking, the best HR environments to come from - if you really want to fast track - are heavily industrialised ones, think unionised environments: petrochem, manufacturing etc where you have a robust - and very vocal - customer base. Experience in these environments is prized at HRD level for FTSE100/250 orgs if that's where you are headed.