Need Advice for Human Resources Management?
Question:
thanks a bunch
Answer:
I'm an HR Director working with the St. Andrew Church group and the best advice for becoming an HR professional is to get the degree and read as many books as possible about leadership. The SPHR certificate is the stronger of the two certificates. Sometimes employers will pay for the test because it is pricey. The Masters is good but experience is better. Find internships in the summer working with an HR Department. Volunteer if you need to. The best way to get the job is to have the experience. HRIS is VERY important because so much of what Generalists especially do is work on data for compensation, payroll, collecting employee information for EEO reporting, etc. Learn about all the laws, ADA, FMLA, EEO, because you will become the expert on this in your position. I strongly believe personality types make stronger HR managers. You have to have strong communication and writing skills, be able to handle conflict and to understand that the HR person in an office can sometimes be lonely. You have to walk that fine line that balances policies between management and the people doing the work. Much of what you learn in the classroom is helpful but like people who go to school to be teachers, until you get the experience you can't truly understand the job. Keep working at it, and good luck.
For entry level, PHR is the right certification. You don't need HR, leave it to the functional experts or will be outsourced anyway. Clearly a MBA is beneficial if your ambition is to advance to executive level.
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