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As with many management roles, a position in human
resource management might not be for everyone.
While there are plenty of benefits to a career
in human resources, it certainly takes a certain
type of person to make their way successfully
in the field. As the name indicates, you will
be dealing with people during the vast majority
of your time at work. If you aren’t really
a people person, or find yourself getting aggravated
when having to deal with other peoples’
problems, a degree in human resources or a career
in the field might not be the best option for
you. However, if you find yourself intrigued by
the prospects of solving the day to day human
issues found within a business or organization,
helping people with their work related and personal
problems, and training employees on the latest
policies, procedures and laws relating to the
work environment, then the human resources field
could be perfect for you.
About Human Resources
So what exactly does a role within human resource
management entail? To be frank, it entails a lot
of human interaction. You’ll be hiring,
firing, training, mediating, and completing a
host of other relation-based duties that often
sound easy but in actuality require quick of bit
of skill, education, and tact. You can’t
just go wading into a human resources management
position thinking you know everything without
a proper education on the subject first. Unlike
many management roles where you can often utilize
a combination of street smarts, common sense,
and people skills, human resources management
requires the learning that also comes with a degree
and coursework upon the subject.
Courses, Education and
Pay
What exactly do you learn at school that makes
a degree in human resource management so valuable?
Well, of course there are the standard courses
that go along with most business related degrees.
Expect to get a taste of basic accounting, probably
some marketing and business law classes, and maybe
a few classes relating to general business and
management. Your focus courses will be geared
more toward training, developing employee skills,
leading and motivating, managing behavior, administrative
policy, team leadership, and public speaking.
Of course this doesn’t mean there won’t
be plenty to learn once you get out into the working
world as well. There will be company specific
policies to familiarize yourself with, training
procedures and manuals to learn, and new faces,
attitudes, and management styles to become accustomed
to in your role.
But what about the pay? That’s always the
big question right? You’re probably wondering
if all your hard work and dedication in preparing
for the human resources management field will
be worth your time, effort, and investment in
your education. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics
puts the median salary for a human resource manager
at just over $96,000. Not too shabby, right? Now,
in most situations you shouldn’t be expecting
to start at this salary. Many human resource managers’
starting pay begins well below that amount and
pay scales vary widely based upon the industry,
company size, and your education and experience.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that
non-managers in business and financial human resource
occupations have a median salary of $55,710.
Is HR Right for You?
So how do you know if human resource management
is right for you? It certainly depends on many
factors, not the least of which includes whether
you like being the ‘go to’ person
for a multitude of work related issues. In human
resources, you are going to be the person who
is ‘in the know’. When someone is
going to be let go, when someone is being documented
for disciplinary reasons, when a new group of
employees need guidance and training, you’ll
be the one expected to handle the issue calmly,
coolly, and professionally.
For more information regarding human resource
management programs, check out the Human
Resources Schools directory.
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