ConfusionLow4986's journey

I'm currently feeling quite lost in my HR career. I graduated in 2021 and spent about five years working for a small business, starting as an HR Coordinator and then moving up to a Generalist role. However, I decided it was time to leave because there were no growth opportunities in that company, which had only around 20 employees. After a long and desperate job search, I finally landed a position with a publicly traded company that has thousands of employees. Although the salary was not great and the title was technically a step back (I became an HR Administrator), I was eager to get out and thought this would be my chance to advance in a larger organization. Now, four months into this new role, I can't shake the feeling that I may have made a mistake. I currently make $52k in a moderately priced area, and I feel like I've regressed in my career. I've been working hard on my resume, but I struggle to get responses from other companies when I apply. I've learned that while there are opportunities for promotion at my current job, it typically takes years for someone on my team to move up. I genuinely enjoy working with my boss and coworkers, but the pay is disheartening. At 30 years old, I feel like I'm falling behind my peers, especially when I see younger colleagues being hired at my company for $75-100k. It's demoralizing to witness this disparity. I'm questioning whether I made a mistake by choosing a career in HR instead of pursuing something in STEM. My plan is to specialize in HRIS, but I haven't had much luck with applications in that area either. I'm feeling very stuck and would appreciate any advice or perspective on how to navigate this situation.