by: Telaireus “T.K.” Herrin

Whether you are a sophomore in an undergraduate program, graduating with your bachelors or beginning your master’s degree, thinking about your first job in human resources is probably on your mind.  Given the current state of this country’s job market and economy, finding your first or next job is probably on your mind even more these days.  The good news is that the job market and the economy are turning around and a recent report projects jobs in HR to grow 13% over the next 10 years.  In fact, the same survey rated a Human Resources Manager as the 20th best job of 50 when you consider factors such as pay, job security, benefits to society, stress-level, job growth rate and overall satisfaction.

As I reflected on comments I have received from undergraduates and HR professionals who are in the early stages of their career on how hard it is to obtain an entry-level position, I wanted to pass along some practical advice.

Tips for those currently pursuing their undergraduate degree:

1. Use your career center, they are there for a reason
2. Attend the recruiting fairs and career workshops sponsored by your school
3. Look for internships and co-ops in HR.  If not HR, find a business related internship or co-op and indicate your desire to work on HR projects if possible.
4. Work in the career center on your campus.  If they do not have an open position, volunteer your time to be exposed to recruiting processes.
5. Register with staffing agencies (noticed agency is plural, because different companies use different agencies) for part-time jobs
6. Complete informational interviews with HR leaders at targeted businesses (you can even do this as part of a class project/paper and earn credit)
7. Join a student chapter of SHRM or other HR professional organizations
8. Attend regional or national seminars and conferences for additional exposure to the field and to network.
9. Utilize Social Media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)

Tips for those who recently graduated or graduating soon:

1. All of the above +
2. Engage a mentor for advice and direction (SHRM has a free virtual mentor program)
3. Register for job alerts on national boards (i.e. Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed), HR/OD association career boards (SHRM, PIHRA, IHRIM, ASTD, ODNetwork, etc.) and niche boards such as (www.EntryHR.com)
4. Volunteer for a leadership position on one of the professional organization’s board of directors (because it is equally important who knows you as it is who you know)
5. Engage your network and let them know what you are looking for.
6. Consider starting your career with a consulting firm like Mercer, Aon, Deloitte
7. Research and apply to HR Development Programs/HR Leadership Programs (get the free ebook download on HR Development Programs by emailing us at request@entryhr.com).

Best wishes in your career.  I hope this article has provided you with helpful and practical ideas you can begin to implement today, as well as use throughout your career.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 10th, 2010 at 4:09 am and is filed under EntryHR. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.