How the Human Resources Major Prepares You for the Job Market
The business degree is one of the most applicable degrees you can earn. Every industry, from health care to non-profits, has a business aspect that demands attention. For this reason, business students are highly likely to find employment in any variety of fields. This may account for the popularity of the business degree. In 2006-2007, approximately 21 percent of the 1,524,000 degrees conferred were given in the field of business, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Human resources majors in particular focus on managing all of the different components of a bustling work environment, employee relations, and changes in organization. To prepare for a future working in a hectic workplace, human resource majors take courses in labor relations, training and development programs, business communication, and other topics related to how to best handle the many financial and managerial aspects of an organization. This educational preparation gives human resource majors a head start towards a rewarding career, as graduates will possess the knowledge needed in the field.
Best Career Paths for Human Resources Majors
Many opportunities are available to human resource majors, as nearly every industry has a need for those who can handle employee relations as well as leadership duties. The best career paths for human resource majors to take are:
- Human Resources Director. Human resources directors oversee the work of human resources specialists. They coordinate the activities between all the different departments to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Directors often facilitate communication between the departments as well, and may pass information along from recruitment specialists to training specialists. Human resources directors make an average salary of $96,130 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Human Resources Specialist. Human resources specialists focus on a human resources department, such as employment, recruitment, or training. They handle the actions of that department, coordinating all of the activities that take place there. For example, a human resources specialist that focuses on recruitment would oversee the selection process for potential hires while a specialist that focuses on employment would handle complaints and inquiries between current employees. Human resources specialist salaries vary depending on the managerís area of specialty. For example, training managers make about $87,700 annually, whereas recruitment managers make about $45,470 annually, according to the Bureau.
Both of these positions utilize business skills, administrative techniques, and industry knowledge that human resource majors possess.
How to Market Your Human Resources Degree
Earning a human resources degree is an important step towards starting your career. However, you will also need to know how to market your degree to potential employers in order to prove to them that your education makes you an excellent candidate for the position. To do this, be specific about the skills you learned during your college career. For example, mention that your human resources degree helped you understand the behind-the-scenes workings of a business and also helped to shape you into a capable leader. Reassuring employers and clients that your educational background helped you develop real-world skills is the most effective way of marketing your human resources degree.
