¶ … Interview "How to build your network": Interview

According to Uzzi & Dunlap (2005), while ability and talent are certainly important, who you know is often as important as what you know in the workplace. As well as restating this old cliche in their article "How to build your network," they also offer the reader important advice for targeting who is 'worth' knowing and cultivating within an organization. While power in an organizational hierarchy may be important, it is also vital to establish connections with people who generate social ties or bridges between other organizational members.

For my interview I selected Ms. H -- at the XYZ organization. Ms. H is a human resource manager, and I chose to interview her because of the important role HR plays in many organizations. Virtually every employee at some point must deal with HR. HR is often the first organizational unit (other than the department he or she joins) that the employee is exposed to -- HR recruits employees, provides them information about benefits and general organizational policies, and also settles any conflicts between employees or employees and their supervisors.

During the interview, I began by asking Ms. H about the experience of working in HR and why she chose this position. Ms. H stated that she studied psychology and business as an undergraduate and the 'people savvy' she learned in those majors was invaluable in her efforts at her current organization. As part of recruitment...

Many of the cordial relationships she established with employees were sustained over the course of the organization, making HR a vital point of contact between the various branches of the organization.
When asked what type of a resume the organization looks for, Ms. H responded that a professional-looking document that showed that the creator understood the specific needs of the organization for that position was expected. "Don't expect to be hired if you turn in a generic resume," she said. In perusing my own resume, she said it would be impossible for her to tell if it would be well-suited to the organization, because I would need to carefully review the specific requirements of a position I wished to obtain. Although there was, she believed, a general company ethos and spirit, every position had its own demands and character. Showing a willingness to do the extra legwork to research such positions was essential.

Employees with questions about leave, payroll, and organizational policies like family leave also come into contact with HR. HR personnel must know how to deal with a wide variety of personality types and needs in this capacity. Employees rely upon HR to facilitate transitions in their lives, such as becoming new parents, or being promoted from one job type to another. Another function of HR is mediation. When…