How to Get into Human Resources and Stay Successful

One of the great things about the HR profession is the multiple ways that someone can get into the field.

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September 4, 2024

Written By

Sharlyn Lauby

Author, Writer, Speaker and Consultant

Sharlyn Lauby is the author of HR Bartender and president of ITM Group Inc., a Florida-based training and HR consulting firm focused on helping companies retain and engage talent. Before starting ITM Group, Sharlyn was Vice President of HR for Right Management Consultants, one of the world’s largest organizational consulting firms. She has designed and implemented highly successful programs for employee retention, internal and external customer satisfaction, and leadership development. Publications such as Reuters, The New York Times, ABC News, TODAY, Readers Digest, Men’s Health, Mashable, and the Wall Street Journal have sought out her expertise on topics related to HR and the workplace. Sharlyn launched HR Bartender to provide a “friendly place for everyday workplace issues.” The site has been recognized as one of the Top 5 Blogs Read by HR Professionals by SHRM. She is the author of Manager Onboarding: 5 Steps for Setting New Leaders Up for Success and The Recruiter’s Handbook: A Complete Guide for Sourcing, Selecting, and Engaging the Best Talent.

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It’s not unusual for human resources professionals to “accidentally” fall into their careers and wind up loving it. One of the great things about the HR profession is the multiple ways that someone can get into the field. No matter the avenue in which you find yourself in an HR position, it’s also important to keep developing your skills and stay at the top of your professional game.

Four common career paths leading to HR

1. Education

Individuals can earn a degree in HR or a related field like business, management, industrial/organizational psychology, or the social sciences. In addition to or instead of earning an undergraduate degree, individuals can complete a certificate program offered at a college or university. While it’s not an HR degree, certificate programs can instill the foundational knowledge – at a fraction of the time and expense.

2. Internships

It’s one thing to talk about HR in a classroom, it’s another to experience it directly in a workplace. A formal internship program provides individuals with hands-on experience in the field. If someone is pursuing an HR degree, there might be an option to participate in an internship program. In addition, some organizations are open to internships for non-students.

3. Internal Mobility

Sometimes HR departments are criticized for lacking business experience so moving from operations into HR can provide that valuable background. It can be advantageous to have operational experience prior to transitioning into HR. Individuals can express an interest in a promotion, transfer, or lateral move into the HR department.

4. Special projects

If someone is unsure about making a long-term move into HR, see if there’s an opportunity to work on a special project or task force related to an HR project. For instance, HR might be looking for people to help with software implementation or want to bring together a group to discuss employee experience. Interacting with HR can be a way to observe what their responsibilities are, and maybe even ask some questions. From there, consider the paths mentioned above.

5 Questions to ask to learn about HR

If you want to learn more about HR, consider interviewing a professional. It’s a great way to learn about their role and how they spend their time. If you don’t have an internal HR team to discuss this with, see if you can find some HR professionals online or in your community to interview. Here are five questions you can ask them.

How did you get into HR? The answer might open new career paths to explore.

What’s a typical day in your role? Remember it could be different for HR generalists and HR specialists.

Name the best thing about your job. See if you can identify any trends on why people choose an HR career.

What is one thing you’d love to change? There’s always a downside to every job. Who knows, maybe it’s something you love.

One book every HR pro should read is...? This answer will provide you with a library of resources to help you land an HR role and stay current in the field.

Staying successful in human resources

Once you’re in HR, the work doesn’t stop of course. A reason that many people love working in HR is because it’s always changing, and they like that pace. There’s always something new to learn, which is why it’s equally important to stay connected to the HR community. These resources can also be great for exploring what the human resources profession is all about.

Join a professional association

Depending on whether you’re a generalist or specialist, there are several HR organizations to consider. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a member-driven organization focused on creating better workplaces. The Association for Talent Development (ATD) champions workplace learning and talent development. WorldatWork helps professionals gain total reward skills. There are also HR associations dedicated to a specific industry like public sector, hospitality, health care, etc.

Attend professional development events

Many professional associations offer in-person and online events focused on HR education. These events take place on a global, national, state, and local level. There are also HR education providers that offer learning programs like webinars, podcasts, articles, etc. Other HR communities include Hacking HR, a global HR community dedicated to advancing the HR profession and HR.com, a community focused on equipping human resources professionals with resources and training to stay relevant in their roles.

Connect with other HR professionals on social media

Don’t discount the value of informal and online networks. Social media platforms with community features like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Reddit, have robust HR communities. For example, there are several recruiting communities on Facebook that offer resources for sourcing the best talent. Recruiters Online is one of those Facebook communities, with over 25,000 members.

Earn a certification

At some point, individuals might want to consider earning an HR-related credential to demonstrate their expertise. And many employers look favorably on candidates and employees who have earned their certification. There are both HR generalist and specialist related credentials. Typically, a credential requires some work experience along with successful completion of coursework and/or an assessment. For example, SHRM offers the SHRM-CP and SCP. They also offer specialty credentials in several areas such as talent acquisition, workplace investigations, and people analytics (to name just a few). The Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) offers the PHR and SPHR. They also offer certifications specific to California as well as global / international HR. Lastly, ATD and WorldatWork offer certifications specific to their HR focus (learning and total rewards respectively).

HR is a vital part of any organization and having a career in HR is tremendously rewarding. In addition to helping the organization achieve its goals, HR professionals help employees achieve their goals as well. But make no mistake, getting into HR and staying current is tough work. It can also be very rewarding.

The good news is that individuals looking to transition into HR have several paths to follow. Individuals can choose the career path that works best for them. And once they’re a part of the HR team, there are several organizations, communities, and resources that can help professionals stay current and relevant in the role.