So, You Think You Want a Career in Human Resources?

The number one glossary suggestion and question that people request is: “What is the definition of human resources?” Here's my most frequent response.

The short answer is that human resources are people. Here's a bit more information about human resources.

Human Resource Management is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, management, and the direction of the people in the organization. Human Resources management is also performed by line managers.

Departments are the entity organizations form to organize people, reporting relationships, and work in a way that best supports the accomplishment of the organization's goals. Departments are usually organized by functions such as human resources, marketing, administration, and sales. But, a department can be organized in any way that makes sense for the customer.

Human resources are the people that staff and operate an organization. Learn about the people who work in Human Resources. Specifically, learn about the job description of the HR Director or Manager, the HR Generalist and the HR Assistant.

It's easier to break into a career in Human Resources if you plan your life, your education, and your work experience around qualifying for careers in Human Resources. The income and opportunity prospects, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, are favorable for the next decade or two. Human Resources is a professional career that demands integrity, confidentiality, and a high level of interpersonal interaction cabability from its practitioners. Increasingly, for a successful career in Human Resources, you will also need business management, finance, and accounting education. You must be prepared to develop a deep understanding of the business your employer is engaged in to succeed in a career in Human Resources.

Liking people is not the only qualification for pursuing a career in Human Resources. It helps, but it is insufficient for success. Human Resources jobs and careers continue to grow in sophistication and the expectations of employers increase every year. Employee development, employee retention, and a positive, motivating work environment are critical to business success.

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

People take widely divergent paths on their journey to working in Human Resource management. They enter Human Resource management by luck and by design and they stay because they enjoy the work and the people. Common themes emerge when you listen to the stories people tell about their transition into Human Resource management. Readers share their stories about how they made the transition to HR and I have summarized some of their knowledge in this article. Read their transition stories and share your own transition path or add your HR story to this article below.

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