Strategic human resources specialists work for large corporations, mid-size businesses, recruiting firms, non-profit organizations, and government departments, ensuring that the best candidates are recruited and retained for employment. They may focus on benefits or labor relations, college graduate recruitment, searching for executives, or helping to develop ongoing career training programs for employees. Human resource (HR) candidates must be thorough, accurate, and have strong communication skills.
How to Advance Your Human Resources Career
Staffing companies and internal human resources departments within corporate organizations typically hire entry level and mid-level personnel to work in processing new employees, tracking company training, or developing employment descriptions and searches. With on-the-job experience, you'll build key skills in working in what can be a vital area of the organization. Many human resources and strategic human resources personnel take online classes and earn college degree programs to advance in the field.
Education Requirements for Human Resource Specialists
Colleges, universities, and business trade schools offer undergraduate certificate and degree programs for human resource majors. Some candidates prefer pursuing a business or finance degree at the two and four-year level to qualify. There are master's degrees in human resources and MBA degrees for those who want to advance to HR management.
Human Resources Professionals Salaries and Job Outlook
According to reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), top-earning human resource placement specialists took home a median annual income of $85,760 in 2008. Managers of human resource departments earned top-end 2008 salaries of $163,220. The BLS predicts a 22 percent increase in jobs for human resource managers between 2008 and 2018.