Human Resources

A degree in human resources prepares students for careers in personnel management and training in various companies and organizations. The degree cultivates business and management skills and focuses on areas such as labor law, labor relations, information systems, strategic staffing, training and development, and communication as it pertains to human resource managers and similar careers. Students also learn about pay systems and benefit plans. The employment outlook for human resources degree-holders is good, as employment is expected to grow much faster than average between 2008 and 2018 for human resources, training and labor relations managers and specialists, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Common Career Paths:

Human Resources Manager

Human resources managers are responsible for hiring and motivating employees at businesses, corporations and other organizations. In the hiring process, they advertise for open positions, filter through resumes to identify the most viable candidates for the job and lead those job candidates through the interview and hiring process. Once a job candidate is hired, human resources officers explain the company or organization's salary and benefits, provide them with information on their job, provide them with documents such as the employee handbook, and have them submit their tax information. Human resource managers also periodically arrange for training for the employees of a company or organization. Training topics might be directly focused on an employee's everyday work assignments, or topics that contribute to a healthier work environment, such as diversity training, sexual harassment training and safety training. If anyone at a company or organization has a question about their benefits, they often sit down with the human resources manager, who is well-versed and can relay the company's policies on vacation/sick/personal days, bonuses and pension plans. Alongside these responsibilities, human resources managers also work alongside the management team at a company, contributing to establishing strategic plans for the success of the company and performing other management tasks. Individuals with college degrees and certification will have the best job prospects in human resources, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average annual salary for human resources managers was $96,130 as of May 2008, the BLS noted.

Training Managers and Specialists

The job of a training manager or training specialist requires an individual to be skilled both in interpersonal communication and in corporate and organizational training. They must also have a knack for teaching, as they are responsible for conducting training and development programs for employees. For instance, if a training manager or specialist was working with a team of salespeople, they might create a training seminar on effective customer service and how it can boost sales for the company. Sessions like these often require training managers to give presentations using PowerPoint or a similar program with point-by-point instruction on how to improve in a certain area. Another example of what a training manager or specialist would do is help employees adjust to new technology that's being introduced companywide. They may also arrange for employee training by having them read pamphlets and instructional guides, having them take online courses or having them complete other forms of continuing education. Training specialists may put together orientation programs and develop on-the-job training programs. After a training manager or specialist conducts a training, they are often required to measure how much their employee participants learned and to gauge their training effectiveness through surveys and tests. The average annual salary for training and development managers was $87,700 as of May 2008, the BLS noted, with the middle 50 percent earning between $64,770 and $115,570. The highest-paying industries on average were in management of companies and enterprises and insurance carriers, according to the BLS.

Recruitment Specialist

Recruitment specialists are responsible for attracting and retaining qualified employees and key talent in a wide variety of industries. Because they have to actively find certain types of employees, they are frequently on the go, building contacts in the community, attending job fairs, and even visiting college campuses, particularly career services departments, in hopes of finding good job candidates to fill open positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Like human resource managers, they screen, interview and sometimes test applicants for job positions to determine if they are a good fit for a company or organization. The screening process requires recruitment specialists to call references listed on an applicant's resume, call a job applicant's former employees to verify past experience and double check with higher education institutions to verify applicants have earned degrees or certifications in the required areas. Recruitment specialists often "sell" potential job candidates on their particular company or organization, drawing them in by letting them know about the kind of salary and benefits they will receive, how stimulating the work environment is, and the potential for bonuses and moving up in the company. The average annual salary of employment, recruitment and placement specialists was $45,470 as of May 2008, according to the BLS. The highest-paying industries for employment, recruitment and placement specialists was in management, scientific and technical consulting services and computer systems design and related services.