Human Resources Manager Upon Graduation, the Field

Human Resources Manager

Upon graduation, the field I have chosen to enter is human resources management, in which I will attempt to work as a human resources manager. For individuals who possess the right technical competencies, there are several opportunities available in this particular field. Firstly, one is required to have at least a bachelor's degree to enter this profession. Coursework involves different aspects of benefits and compensation. Some positions require a master's degree. Bachelor's degrees can be in human resources or in a related field; the latter option is often augmented by taking pertaining to human resources management. Additionally, candidates must be competent with a variety of computer software programs, and also be cognizant of laws at various levels (local, state and federal) to work in this field. Other skill areas include public speaking, leadership, and communication. Individuals who meet these educational and skills requirement can work in a variety of positions/subsets of this field such as recruitment, payroll, labor relations and staffing.

Those who find positions in this discipline are responsible for various administrative duties such as payroll management and managing personnel in myriad ways including hiring, disciplinary action, assessing and mediating salaries, benefits and raises, and training and development of employees. Human resources managers oftentimes work in conjunction with other people, including specialists (BLS, 2014). The pros and cons of working in this position largely pertain to the degree of interaction with people it involves -- with the right people this job is enriching and fun, with difficult people it can be fairly trying. Other benefits include the possibility to travel and meet new people. The demand for this profession is fairly consistent, for the simple fact that organizations will always need someone to help manage and train their staff (which is their human resources). The job growth for this profession until the year 2022 is average as far as other occupations go (BLS, 2014).

There are a couple of really eminent professional associations affiliated with human resources management. These include the Society for Human Resource Management and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. These type of professional associations generally provide credentials or certificates that HR personnel can attain, which are usually based on work experience, education, and length of time in which one is involved in the field. Certification frequently involves continuing education units and recertification (SHRM, 2014). As such, these associations are valuable for keeping human resource personnel abreast of the latest technological advancements to affect this profession.