When a career finds you: an HR journey

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This article was published 23/08/2025 (426 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Some careers are planned from the start. Others happen by accident. For one HR leader, Keno Eden-Ettah, her professional life started in an entirely different field before taking a turn she never expected.

“I was fresh out of being called to the bar and wondering what to do next,” she says.

“I knew I wanted a career path that was deeply connected to people. Then, almost by chance, a position opened up with a foreign office in their corporate services department, essentially HR under another name. I decided to take it, and I’ve never looked back.”

That job became the start of a career she hadn’t considered before but now can’t imagine leaving. “My journey into HR wasn’t planned. It unfolded naturally, without a grand strategy. Sometimes, the right path finds you when you least expect it.”

Over time, that chance decision led to earning her Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation, taking on leadership roles, and working in both global and local organizations.

Learning core of HR

Her first experience in HR set the tone for the rest of her career. “I quickly learned the importance of being approachable and remembering that there’s ‘human’ in human resources,” she says.

For her, this meant making sure employees knew she was available to listen, while also keeping in mind HR’s role is not just to support individuals, but to balance those needs with the goals of the organization. “HR is about merging the interests of an organization with the needs, challenges, and aspirations of the people who make it work. That perspective has shaped the professional I strive to be.”

These early lessons stayed with her and have guided how she approaches both small day-to-day issues and larger, strategic challenges.

Global view of HR

A major turning point in her career came when she joined a global organization. “I had the opportunity to work (for a company) with over 170 locations worldwide,” Eden-Ettah recalls. “Being part of HR in that environment and seeing firsthand the far-reaching effects of everyday HR decisions on a global scale was amazing.”

Working at that scale showed her how impactful HR can be. “I witnessed how the trajectory of a person’s career, guided through the various doors of HR, could take them and their family from Angola to Pau in France,” she says.

It also meant learning how to navigate complex negotiations. “I experienced the intricacies of negotiating outcomes that benefit the organization and its employees in the long term.”

These experiences reinforced HR decisions have both immediate and long-term effects, and the work can shape not only business outcomes, but the lives of the people involved.

Realities of the job

HR, Eden-Ettah says, is both rewarding and challenging. “You won’t always be the ‘good person’ to everyone, because not everyone will see the full picture of every decision—and not every situation can be fully shared,” she explains.

That’s part of the reality of the profession: HR must balance transparency with confidentiality, and decisions are often made with information that not everyone has.

Still, she finds the work worth doing. “The positive impact you can have as HR makes it worth it,” she says. “In this work, you may be an advocate to some, a defender to others, an enforcer in various moments, and a bridge in many situations.”

For her, this range of roles — sometimes supportive, sometimes directive, always connected to people — is what makes HR a critical function in any organization. “Every HR role, whether in payroll, talent development, or leadership, touches people’s lives,” Eden-Ettah says. “The key is finding the balance, understanding your duty to the organization and the people who make it what it is, and the communities we are a part of.”

Career advice

Eden-Ettah’s path into HR wasn’t intentional, but it worked because she was open to trying something new and committed to learning once she got there. That’s an important takeaway for anyone unsure about their next career step.

You don’t always have to know exactly where you’re going. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is focus on what matters to you — like Eden-Ettah’s desire to work closely with people — and then be willing to step into opportunities that might not look like the “perfect fit” on paper.

The rest can be learned on the job. Skills can be developed, networks can be built, and expertise can grow over time.

What matters most is starting, being open to unexpected paths, and being ready to learn.

Looking back

It’s clear Eden-Ettah’s professional identity has been shaped by both planned learning and unplanned opportunities.

She has seen firsthand how HR affects individuals and organizations, whether through guiding careers across continents or solving local workplace challenges. She has also learned success in HR requires flexibility, empathy and a willingness to take on roles that aren’t always comfortable.

Her path shows you should not dismiss a role just because it wasn’t part of your original plan. “Sometimes the right path finds you when you least expect it,” Eden-Ettah says.

Her story is proof careers can be built from unexpected starting points, and one unplanned decision — like accepting a job in a corporate services department — can open the door to a fulfilling, impactful profession.

Tory McNally, CPHR, BSc., vice-president,

professional services, is a human resource consultant, radio personality and problem solver.

She can be reached at tory@legacybowes.com