Human Resource Careers- Why this is a Great Development Opportunity for You

In the nascent stages of the development of human resources as a career, it was considered to be just a supporting role in an organization. This dated back to the time when human capital was not given as much importance as it is today. With the change in the global economy, the value of human capital as a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive global market has given rise to the development of the human resources department playing an equally strategic and important role in the everyday running of a business.

With organizations waking up to the fact that investing in their employees results in greater productivity, out-of-the-box ideas, and more dedication, which in turn directly impacts the revenue and reputation of an organization, human resources has become a fulfilling, challenging, and rewarding career opportunity for ambitious students around the world. This is the perfect career for people who want to achieve their financial goals while reaching their full potential and making a difference in the lives of others and to the success of an organization as a whole. This is the reason a career in human resources is attracting burgeoning interest in every country in the world today.

Opportunities offered:

A human resources career offers a wide range of opportunities in almost every industry and organization in any part of the world. It offers diverse experiences in different areas of expertise, so there is a great deal of variety ensuring that you don’t get bored with a monotonous routine at work.  Even in the same function or role, you are expected to don several hats, which will keep you creatively and intellectually engaged. So while there are specialist roles in HR, even a general HR role involves diverse tasks that will keep you interested for a long time to come. For example, as an HR executive, you will be involved in selection and recruitment of candidates for different positions within the organization, development and training activities for professional and personal growth of employees, rewards and recognition for well-performing employees, addressing complaints and grievances, ensuring the rights of employees, conducting appraisals, exit interviews, maintaining health and safety protocols, ensuring that there is good interpersonal relationships among employees, inculcating a feeling of belonging to the organization, etc. As you go higher up in the HR hierarchy, you also get to play a key role in the strategic decisions involving business growth and development.

What to study:

To get into the human resources field, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree, which will enable you to get an entry-level or assistant’s role in an organization. For better employment opportunities, it would be wise to get a master’s degree in human resources management or a master’s in business administration (MBA) specializing in human resources. There are also different certifications connected to the field of human resources management that can help you get ahead in your human resource career or help you get a head start in this field.

Different profiles in the field:

There are specializations in the field of human resources, such as labor relations, compensation specialists, benefits specialists, the non-profit sector, consultancy, recruitment into international companies, training and development, outsourcing of HR functions, etc. You might want to take additional courses for some of these profiles, such as in instructional technology, finance, education, labor relations, corporate law, etc.

There are different career path progressions for people who are talented and ambitious. You can choose to be employed in an organization and earn a good salary and enjoy all the benefits that come with it, while being able to impact the lives of employees and organizations substantially. You could also choose to work as a consultant to different companies, which gives you a great deal of flexibility and freedom while also ensuring financial success. You could also set up your own outsourcing firm for human resources management, which is becoming more popular even among the larger corporates. You could also work exclusively as a recruiter, which pays you very highly for each talent that you recruit and place in organizations. There is also scope in the field of human resources information technology, which is a combination of technical expertise and IT skills with the human resources department. With almost every company having computerized systems in place, this is a new field that will be lucrative for a long time to come. Working in the non-profit sector to help make changes in the world for the better is also an extremely rewarding option for those who are so inclined.

As you can see, the sky is the limit for those who are interested in a career in human resources.

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