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career change...human resources
So, I'm looking to make a career change, unfortunately (it's bittersweet, but I gotta pay the bills!). I've always been interested in various HR-related areas and thought this might be a good time to look more into it. Are there any HR nesties out there that could provide some insight? I realize this may be more personal information than people are willing to share with a stranger!
I'm having a hard time finding job openings that are truly entry-level (they all want some sort of HR specific experience) and am considering an HR certificate program - USM has one, but I may have missed the boat for this school year. I've spoken to a few people that seem to think the background I have has clearly provided me with the skills needed and it will be more about learning the specifics once I'm in and finding a focus, since it is such a broad area. I am hoping a certificate program will help me get a better idea of whether or not this is something I could enjoy and give my resume a boost, showing potential employers that I'm serious about making a switch. A girl I used to work with when I was in fundraising went back to school for her Master's in HR, which I am just not in the position to do right now - it helped her get an entry-level position, which she seems to be really happy with, but I'm wondering if this may help me accomplish the same thing with a lot less expense attached.
Re: career change...human resources
I used to work in an HR department at a large company, although not in an HR function, so I have a little bit of knowledge of this area.
Do you have any idea what area interests you? Recruiting is very different from compensation, which is different from employee relations, which is different from benefits management...
If your desire to work in HR comes from your love of working with people, then HR is not for you. Very few HR professionals interact with employees regularly, and those that do are often dealing with the problems (disciplinary measures, terminations). Also know that HR employees are advocates for the company, not the individual employee; if you feel like you're going to be the champion of the little guy, HR is not for you.
I don't know if getting an HR certificate would be of any benefit or not for you getting hired into an entry level job. I would try asking over on the 9 to 5 board if you haven't already. I think there are some HR professionals over there that could offer an educated opinion.
Thanks for the info. I think I'd ultimately like to get into the employee training side of HR, working for a larger company.
The national boards freak me out, so I haven't posted yet...I just did a quick search through the most recent posts and don't see anything HR-related, so I may post there and see what they say.
Erika and Jess P. (jd) both have some knowledge of corporate training. Hopefully one or both of them will stop by and weigh in.