To reach the types of human resources roles you want, it helps to evaluate alternate
routes and professional skills that will get you there. And don鈥檛 forget to consider
some valuable shortcuts 鈥� such as certifications and industry connections. If you鈥檙e
ready to hit the gas as an HR professional, start by exploring seven ways to pave your human resources career path. Let鈥檚 go!
Tip No. 1: Start With a Degree
Earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in human resources, workforce development, or any business major gives you momentum. But so could a humanities, education, psychology, communications, economics, or human services degree. Why? Because HR pros have a wide skillset.
In addition to strategic thinking, budgeting, proposal writing, and an understanding of compensation and benefits packages, you鈥檒l need discernment, tact, empathy, problem-solving, and persuasion skills to climb the HR career ladder. A well-rounded background and education can help you develop these soft skills.
Follow your curiosity when choosing a major. If you want to go into HR but you also
love biology, consider the science degree as a smart path to an HR role at a hospital
or pharmaceutical company.
Tip. No. 2: Know Your Value
Even if you don鈥檛 have a degree, getting your foot in the HR door is possible. You may just need to work your way up from an entry-level position. If you already have experience in a field, it鈥檚 possible to transition to the HR department. For instance, if you鈥檝e worked in manufacturing, you bring perspective on the kinds of employees who thrive in that line of work.
Use your communications skills, professional background, and thorough understanding
of the business to qualify for an industry-specific role, with or without a degree.
Particularly in smaller, privately owned companies that emphasize skills over a school
degree, you can often find a rewarding HR role.
Tip No. 3: Make Contacts Along the Way
To get where you want to go in your human resources career, you鈥檒l need guidance, connections, and goodwill from people who know you and your work ethic. Developing strong internal relationships can position you for advancement if opportunities arise. But so can making connections outside of your company.
Start building your professional network on social media 鈥� prioritizing LinkedIn and
Facebook. Then build it by joining , such as National Human Resources Association (NHRA), Human Capital Institute (HCI)
and World at Work.
Tip No. 4: Don鈥檛 Be Afraid to Take the Road Less Traveled
When you鈥檙e breaking into HR, you don鈥檛 necessarily need to plot every career move you hope to make. But planning the broad direction of your HR career can improve your chance for success. Research the types of human resources careers and the industries that fascinate you. Will you be a generalist or look for a niche role? Fortunately, there are many HR-related roles available:
- Employment specialist
- Recruiter
- Labor relations specialist
- Health and safety specialist
- Training and development specialist
- Compensation and benefits specialist
- Executive recruiter
- HR consulting
The expects human resources specialist jobs to grow by 10 percent in the next eight years.
Before you decide if generalist or specialist is your preferred path, know that some
specialty areas are growing faster than others. Do your research and find the niche
that interests you, aligns with your skills, and offers room to grow.
Tip No. 5: Merge into the HR Lane
Merging from an unrelated career lane into HR is achievable, but plan to identify and acquire the skills you need to be successful in the HR job. Register for HR training courses to gain a practical foundation before you transition into the field or shortly after taking on a new role. And don鈥檛 forget to ask your hiring manager if the company will pay for HR training and certifications.
If you started out in one career direction and now want to take a turn into human resources, you won鈥檛 be the first person to change career lanes into HR. Because hiring is at a fever pitch, companies are searching for talent anywhere they can find it. But recognize that the current job market may try to reroute you. Due to the labor shortage, individuals in a variety of roles are now being asked . And at the top of that list of professionals being squeezed into recruitment is HR:
- Human resources
- Account manager
- Administrative assistant
- Salesperson
- Customer service representative
- Account executive
- Business development manager
- Project manager
Tip No. 6: Map Your Route While Climbing the HR Career Ladder
Although you don鈥檛 need to have it all figured out, it may help you to create a mapping out your climb up the HR career ladder so you can visualize where you鈥檙e headed. Note the new skills and certifications you plan to acquire in each role.
While there are multiple routes to your HR career destination, many professionals follow a common path, starting at an entry level and progressing from there:
- Entry-level roles: Staffing coordinator, HR assistant, HR associate, HR administrator
- Mid-career roles: HR specialist, HR generalist, HR supervisor, personnel manager, benefits administrator, staffing manager, recruiter, safety manager
- Senior roles: HR manager, HR director
- Executive roles: Chief human resources officer (CHRO), vice president of human resources
As an HR professional, you鈥檒l be expected to provide strategic planning in your hiring
and benefits approach. Apply the same techniques to your own career. Identify the
future type of human resources job you want 鈥� and the next 鈥� long before you鈥檙e ready
to fill the role.
Tip No. 7: Be Open to Detours
Stay flexible. Don鈥檛 be so focused on your charted path that you miss a golden opportunity to go off-road and take a more 鈥渟cenic鈥� route to HR success.
As you follow your HR career plan, know that the path will not always be straightforward. If you follow the twists and turns with a sense of discovery and excitement, you might arrive at a much more wonderful destination than the one you planned.
For instance, say your current employer offers you a lateral move instead of a promotion.
Does this add a delay to your plan? Or will taking the sidestep actually allow you
to leap over an intermediate role you expected next? Should you accept a role in a
field you know nothing about, but one with more responsibility and potential for advancement?
Turbocharge Your Resume with HR Certifications from USF
There is an express lane to your career destination: human resources training courses and certifications. USF offers a range of programs, including courses certified by SHRM. Earning one or more of these highly respected credentials will distinguish you as an HR expert, making you a stronger candidate for your next move. Ready to discover how SHRM certification from USF can accelerate your human resources career?