Running Head: A CAREER WORKING IN HUMAN RESOURCES 1

A Career Working In Human Resources

Kelly Eckard

Salt Lake Community College

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I have chosen my career path to be Business AS with an emphasis on Human Resource. There

are many things about this job that appeal to me, overall I would like to be the advocate for the

employee ensuring the employee is safe will the best interests of the business are looked at as

well. I have thought about working in the H.R. field for about 15 years, I have always found the

jobs tasks that they perform appealing.

The pros and cons:

The human resource department is a significant asset of a company. Their daily duties are

managing benefits, hiring, administration, and training personnel. Human Resource is a

rewarding industry, In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the field will grow

by 9% through 2024, which will add approximately 10,800 new jobs to the workforce. Due to

the growing demand for qualified professionals and the attractive salaries being offered, human

resources is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States. Due to the growing

demand for qualified professionals and the attractive salaries being offered, human resources is

one of the fastest growing professions in the United States (Resources, 2017).

There are so many things that interest me about working in the Human Resource division, having

a direct impact on my companys wellbeing. By being in charge of the hiring of a company you

are in responsible for hiring your companys best asset, the employee. When working in H.R.

you will interact with all walks of life. The people you will interact with will be internal and

external with the company, when H.R. you are given the opportunity to interact with supervisors,

managers, vendors, employees and applicants. Challenges will come across your desk on a

daily basis in this industry, being able to define a grey area and see the black and white in a
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situation will be common. Employees in this field have high workloads; there is never a dull

moment. Having big workloads is appealing but can be a challenge. The interesting part of the

workloads and this position is working with people. Unlike machines, people dont have an

owners manual, handling situations especially delicate ones will need to be on a case by case

basis to ensure problems are resolved.

In this position you are a problem solver, employees, managers and supervisors come to you for

advice. You are the clarification to the employee handbook. As a Human Resource employee

you will work as a mediator between the company and employees, ensuring the employees

rights are reserved the interest of the business is taken into consideration.

UtahFutures.com is a website where you take assessments to determine where your career

strengths are. (Planning, 2017). I have taken the assessment and I received the following score

for the Business, Management and Administration field: 13/15.

In this category falls the Human Resource position as an assistant and a manger. Here is a job

description along with their wages:

Human Resource Manager Utah annual wage: $90,240 - Utah wage: $43.39

o Work in employment, pay and benefits or labor relations. Keep and write records,

work with other supervisors, management and staff. Must be educated, have

knowledge of people and their behavior, must have educated with laws and

political practices.

Human Resource Assistant Utah annual wage: $35,460 - Utah wage: $18.32

o Assist employees with their payroll, assist with talent management and payroll,

organize and file companies information about their employees. Skills needed:
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Listening, analyze ideas and use logic, problem solving skills, use reasoning, be

aware of others reactions and change in behavior in relation to them (Planning,

2017).

A downfall to this position is company politics and being unable to avoid them. Managers play

favorites and employees have ulterior motives. If you are able to see through political plays it

will help minimize the impact both have on the company.

General Career Path and Salary:

What does it take to begin your career in Human Resources? The U.S. Bureau of Labor

Statistics reported the median salary for all human resource managers in May 2016 was

$104,440 per year. To become an HR manager, you would need at least a bachelor's degree;

some employers require a master's degree. Degrees are usually in human resources management,

business administration or a related field. You may also need up to five years of experience.

Certification is available but it is voluntary (Roadmap, 2003-2017)

A Human Resources Manager ensures employees are receiving proper benefits and

compensation from their employee. Someone in this department oversees workplace safety,

employee records, manage overall employee hiring evaluations and labor relations. It is

imperative that Human Resource representatives stay up to date with policies that govern

employee rights such as equal opportunity employment and sexual harassment laws.

General Education Experience and Career Outlook:

Typically in this career field a bachelors degree is required but sometimes a masters degree is

required. The degree field would categorize as Human Resource Management, Business
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Administration, Business AS, or a related field. An entry level position would consist of a H.R.

Generalist.

Human Resources, or HR, is a profession that consistently ranks high on lists of best careers,

based on job growth, (Bisk, 2017) earnings potential, creativity, flexibility and other factors. U.S.

News & World Report ranked human resources specialist No. 15 on its 2014 list of best business

jobs and No. 71 on its ranking of 100 best jobs overall. U.S. News highlights that HR duties can

vary day to day from recruiting new employees to handling questions about benefits (Bisk,

2017).

Certificates are available for this field. Its not typically necessary to be certified in this field, a

certification will give you an upper hand. There are a few types of certifications in this area of

study, including the Professional of Human Resources (PHR) and Certified Employment

Benefits Specialist (CEBS). The PHR exams consists of testing in six areas of expertise

including, labor relations, risk management, and workforce planning and employment.

Eligibility requirements include up to 4 years of experience in the field of a combination of

education and experience. The CEBS is an eight-course program that focuses on group benefits

compensation and retirement.

The University of Utah offers a certificate program for this area of study. The University Of

Utah Division Of Human Resources offers certificates programs designed to increase

participants capability and confidence in skills that are essential for professional success

(Development, 2017). To earn a certificate, individuals must attend all required in-person

classes. Participants will also be required to complete online activities for each class, including

responding to at least one on-line discussion thread for each class.

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Western Governors University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource

Management. Our online human resources degree will boost your HR career. The B.S. in

Business Human Resource Management degree has been recognized by the Society of Human

Resource Management (SHRM) as fully aligned with their HR Curriculum Guidebook and

Templates. This program provides expertise in HR along with knowledge and skills in business

and labor practices. Earn a human resources degree online so that you can become a competent

and knowledgeable HR professional (Overview, 2017)

This online program is for experienced H.R. professionals who are seeking a human resource

management degree to move up in the Human Resource field. This program is designed to help

you develop the skills and knowledge essential in this area of study. Generally employers are

looking for five years of experience. Key skills that this job requires are interpersonal skills,

decision-making, organizational, leadership, and communication skills in addition to being able

to use human resource management software skills.

Bio of someone in the profession:

I was able to sit down with an individual and get some insight on this field of study. As much as

I have always wanted to work in this field I havent had any direct experience in it and wanted to

know if the grass was greener on the other side. This individual I interviewed works with the

tuition reimbursement, benefits, recruiting and employee compensation. She loves her job. She

was able to move into the H.R. department with an associates degree in business. She is

currently working on her Bachelors degree from Western Governors University. She likes the

WGU because it is an online based school where she can dedicate time to study at odd hours of

the day.
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To succeed in the H.R. world which is an ever-changing business environment where

companies endlessly adapt and compete demands that HR professionals and departments develop

an expanded set of strengths and skills to respond efficiently to changes in legal regulations,

technology and personal demands. HR professionals who evolve with these changes are most

likely to progress in their careers (Sabell, 2015). Survival tips for this area of study are to work

as hard as you can; you get out of it what you put into it. Dont make excuses. Dont be afraid

to say NO. Promote in house. Improve your personal relationships. Dont be afraid to take the

lead. Have a vision of what you consider success.

My fit to this career is as followed: I am professional courteous and a successful individual

with a proven and demonstrated ability to provide efficient, reliable, and ethical service through

research, communication, education and team work. I am organized and adaptable to change,

always a good listener that is empathic and does well with conflict management with good

decision making skills.

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Works Cited
Bisk. (2017). Retrieved from
https://www.michiganstateuniversityonline.com/resources/leadership/why-human-resources-
may-be-right-for-you/#.WVspKBXyvIU

Development, T. a. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.hr.utah.edu/training/certificates.php

Overview, D. (2017). Retrieved from

https://www.wgu.edu/business/human_resource_bachelor_degree#

Planning, U. F. (2017). Utah Futures. Retrieved from https://utahfutures.org/

Resources, P. a. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.managerskills.org/hr/hr-pros-and-cons/

Roadmap, H. t. (2003-2017). Retrieved from

http://study.com/articles/How_to_Become_a_Human_Resource_Manager_Education_and_Car
eer_Roadmap.html

Sabell, H. (2015, August 19). Retrieved from https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/top-tips-on-how-to-

succeed-in-human-resources.php
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