Last Updated on February 6, 2022 by MBA Gateway Team
Why I Choose a Career in Human Resources
I spent four years in the University studying a course I had no particular interest in. After I graduated, I felt lost and confused. I liked the idea of pursuing a career and going up the ladder of success, but I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to pursue. I wished I had someone who understood what I was going through and who could help me. A few months later, I got an opportunity to intern in the HR department of a company, and I have never looked back since.
What is HR?
HR means Human Resources, and the whole process is Human Resource Management, sometimes referred to as Personnel Management. It is a process of balancing structures in an organization, bridging the gap between the employee and the employer to ensure maximum work input, which yields output profit. They also help ensure that employees are running in line with the company’s vision and uphold its values. There’s no business or organization without the people. No matter how digitalized the organization may be, it cannot run without people. Happy people make happy workers, and happy workers will put their best into what they do. HR ensures that a company has the best and most qualified sets of people, they do this through recruitment and selection processes, they ensure that these people are adequately motivated and adequately taken care of through compensation and benefits, ensuring compliance with the labour laws of the country, organizing training and development of employees
Why HR?
There are several reasons to consider a career in HR, but the most important one which has kept me hooked in this field is the people. If you are passionate about people and helping them be better, especially in their careers, maybe you should take a closer look at HR. One of the reasons most organizations go into business is to make money, while one of the reasons most people work is for money, which is not a bad thing. HR ensures there is a balance between both parties, and none is taking advantage of the other. They help ensure that workers are adequately compensated for their work and motivated to do more through incentives while the business blossoms.
Another fantastic thing about HR is its diversity. It is not limited to only one industry, as it cuts across any and every industry. You know how you might be passionate about people, and you also happen to love technology, so you wonder how to strike a balance. Trust me, I understand. HR gives you the freedom to be in any industry of your choice. As long as the organization has people, they have an HR department. So, there’s HR in engineering, healthcare, technology, law, you name it. It’s mind-blowing. There is never a shortage of employers of organizations that need HR personnel. You can even go as far as working for Starbucks!
HR gives you the freedom to either specialize in HR functions or be a generalist and do a little of all of them. HR functions include recruitment, payroll administration, training and development, compensation, and benefits. So you can choose to specialize in payroll and become a payroll administrator, or you can become a Recruitment specialist. With HR, your choices are not limited.
Roles in Human Resources Management
There are many roles and positions to consider when choosing a career in Human Resources. You can check out their key responsibilities and functions to find the perfect fit for you. Below are a few of them.
- HR Intern – Like every other internship role, this is one of learning. You will be saddled with real-time responsibilities and work while you learn and gain experience. This is a perfect place to begin if you want to test the waters before fully diving in.
- HR Assistant or Administrator- This is an entry-level role where you assist in all general HR functions, including documentation, handling queries, sending out emails, etc.
- HR officer- As you grow in the HR path, you have more and more responsibilities such as recruitment and training, payroll, managing employee data, tracking sick leaves and absences, etc.
- Recruitment Specialist – This is a specialized HR role that involves everything from the sending out of job vacancy adverts to the hiring process.
- Training and Development specialist – They are specifically to train new and old employees, to make sure that they have the necessary skills needed to carry out their job function.
- HR Manager or Director – This is a senior role in the HR industry. It involves overseeing HR teams to ensure everyone is working and doing their part, enforcing policies and practices that pertain to the organization
When I finally found HR, I wished I had started earlier, I cursed all the time I had lost studying something else. But, I’m glad I finally found it, and I’m inspired every day to do more and be better. The world of HR is large and very accommodating. It’s okay if you feel scared about taking a step in this direction, it happens in any career path. But, if it’s something that interests you, and something you see yourself doing, you should give it a try.
