Do I need CIPD to become an HR assistant?

Not always. Many employers hire assistants with good administration skills and support CIPD study afterwards, but starting a course shows commitment.

I have no HR experience. What can I include?

Use admin, recruitment or customer service work that involved records, confidentiality or dealing with people, and explain why you want to move into HR.

How do I show I can handle confidential information?

Say what types of information you handled and how you kept it secure, such as restricted files and data protection training.

Is there an easier way to get my CV written?

Ceev writes your CV from your own answers, typed or spoken, and shows you a free preview before you pay anything.

HR assistant CV example

A strong HR assistant CV shows organised, discreet administration across the employee life cycle, from recruitment to onboarding, contracts and absence records. It should give clear examples of accuracy and confidentiality, plus any CIPD study that supports your application.

Jacob Ward

HR assistant

jacob@example.com | 07700 900163 | Nottingham

Profile

Organised and discreet HR assistant with experience supporting recruitment, onboarding and employee records for a company of around 250 staff. Careful with contracts, right to work checks and absence data, and comfortable handling sensitive information. Studying towards a CIPD Level 3 qualification alongside full-time work.

Experience

HR Assistant

a retail and distribution company

Posted vacancies, arranged interviews and sent offer letters and contracts on behalf of the HR manager

Completed right to work checks and pre-employment references, keeping records in line with GDPR

Ran monthly inductions for around ten new starters and prepared their welcome packs

Updated absence, holiday and sickness records on the HR system and passed figures to payroll each month

Answered employee queries on policies and passed complex cases to the HR manager

Administrator

a recruitment agency

Booked interviews and kept candidate records up to date on the database

Requested references and chased missing documents

Answered candidate calls and emails politely and accurately

Prepared weekly figures for the branch manager

Key skills

Recruitment administrationRight to work checksContracts and onboardingAbsence and holiday recordsHR systemsConfidentiality and GDPREmployee queriesMicrosoft 365 and ExcelAccurate record keepingCIPD Level 3 (in progress)

Example · fictional candidate · Timeline design · Use this design

Tips for a hr assistant CV

Show the size of the organisation and how many staff records or new starters you handle
Stress confidentiality, since HR teams handle sensitive information every day
Mention right to work checks, contracts and any HR system by name where you can
Include CIPD study, whether Level 3 or Level 5, and when you expect to finish
Give examples of accuracy, such as payroll changes you prepared or records that were always correct
Show that you know your limits: passing a complex or sensitive case to the right person is a strength

Applying with a cover letter? See our hr assistant cover letter example.