What You Need to Know Before Starting Your Career in HR

Lots of people are looking to start their career in Human Resources since it is a rapidly – growing career field with plenty of lucrative opportunities for HR generalists, managers and more. These are some of the job titles that you could qualify for if you decide to opt for a career in HR.

The number of human resources jobs is expected to increase later in the future according to career analysts and the median annual income for a human resources career is above the national average. This is what makes the HR field fantastic opportunities for those who are planning for and starting their careers.

If you have no idea how to start your career in human resources, here’s what you should consider:

1.   How To Break Into The HR Field

You might not believe it, but starting a career in HR is pretty easy as long as you plan for your life, education and your work experience around qualifying for careers in HR. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, income and opportunity prospects are favorable for the next decade or two.

Human Resource is a professional career that demands confidentiality, integrity, as well as a high level of interpersonal interaction capabilities from those who wish to pursue it. Additionally, to further ensure a successful career in HR, you need to know about finance, business management, accounting education, and experience whenever possible.

You also have to have a vast understanding of the business that your employer is engaged in for you to succeed in a career in HR.

2.   How To Prepare Yourself

It helps to develop good relations when pursuing a career in HR but it’s not enough for you to succeed. That’s because HR jobs and careers continue to expand every year as do the expectations of employers.

It is critical for you to possess the ability to contribute to employee development, employee retention, organization development, and a positive motivating work environment for a business’s success.

And most importantly, you need to develop expertise in measuring how HR processes and programs can contribute to the success of the overall business is crucial for the success of the business.

3.   Transition To A Career

People take a wide range of paths to working in human resource management. They get into HR management by design and by luck and stay there because they enjoy the work they do and the people they interact with. When you read the stories that people tell before they transition into HR management, common themes start emerging. Every journey is unique but it may give you an idea about what you need to do to make your transition more smoothly.

4.   Job Earnings And Prospects

Job prospects for various human resource positions differ by position, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, they range from growing as fast as the average for other promotions to grow faster than the average for other occupations.

5.   Why Do HR Leaders Need Degrees?

If you’re thinking about getting a career in human resources or want to advance your current career, then a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree can definitely help you achieve your goals and ambitions.

In most fields, degrees have become more important, but their relevance hasn’t occurred more drastically than it has with HR. In the old days, a person could easily advance to the level of VP without a degree, but now it’s become less common. In addition, more HR professionals are obtaining legal degrees as employment law has become quite complex.

6.   Are HR Certifications Required?

There are number HR certifications available such as the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI). But are they really necessary for a career in HR?

The answer to that question depends on your region as well as the expectations for your HR career. It’s not necessary to get an HR certification to start your career in HR. However, in major companies and larger cities, these certifications appear regularly in job postings as requirements. As a matter of fact, small to mid-sized organizations are slowly catching up as well, which do give these certifications some significance but not to the point where it’s compulsory.

One of the biggest perks from certified HR professionals is that they earn more than their uncertified peers. So if you want to get a certificate you can. If you want a more convenient way to get your certificate and to save up on time, then we suggest applying for online HR certification courses.