How many years of school will I have to go through to go into human resources?
I want to go into Human Resources but not start off on a low status I want to start off with a high rank and make six figures when I'm a couple years out of college.
#human-resources
#makemoney
4 answers
Shana Kapustin
Shana’s Answer
First off, I can admire your career goal, however, I am not sure it's too realistic. All employees have to pay their dues, as it is. I completed a general BA in university (3 years) and then did a post graduate degree in human resources (1 year). And I worked my way up the ladder, like everyone else. I would hesitate to suggest ANY role in HR will pay you six figures with just a few years out of school. It's a complex field and it takes time, passion and energy to dedicate yourself to a career in HR. If you goal is 6-figures within a few years, HR is not the right place to be.
April’s Answer
From my experience, I needed zero years of experience to get into human resources (HR). In fact, my first job out of college back in 2005 was an HR role and I had a bachelor's degree is communication science and disorders (I had aspirations to become an audiologist at that time). Since, I learned HR on the job for few years before I decided to pursue a master's degree in HR management in 2009. Most of the HR that I know was from on-the-job learning, rather than what I learned in the classroom. If you are in a state where you are willing to learn, if I were you, I would apply for those HR assistant and HR coordinator roles. Some Office Coordinator or Office Manager roles have HR responsibilities so that's also a great way to gain experience for roles such as HR generalist. Recruiting is also a great way to get into HR.
April recommends the following next steps:
Jonna Cottrell
Jonna’s Answer
I agree with the first commenter that everyone has to work their way up in a corporate Human Resources career. For HR, I wouldn't recommend anything beyond a Bachelor's degree. If you google "entry level human resources salaries" I think you'll find that they're much below the range that you're seeking. However, if you have any interest in sales or consulting, I might recommend you look into a career in recruiting, where you would be a consultant for many companies and recruit candidates on behalf of those companies for a fee. This involves not only being a good recruiter (which is one important facet of HR) but also pitching/selling your recruiting services to companies that have job openings. Careers in the staffing industry (or any other sales type role), if you're good at it, can be very lucrative within the short time frame that you suggested. I know people who got to a six figure salary within three years in staffing or sales. It requires a lot of hard work and sometimes long hours. But, if you like it and are good at it, you can make a lot of money. It is a high burnout industry with about 50% employee turnover, so most people who try it out don't make it. The ones that do make it can really make it big time.
Jonna recommends the following next steps:
Rahila’s Answer
In my experience, in order to secure a high paying HR role shortly after graduating, you will likely need both a Bachelors and Masters Degree. A few of the well-known HR Masters programs include Cornell, Texas A&M, and the University of South Carolina. You should also plan to get some experience through internships and part time work during school. This will help you stand out from other candidates. The HR function has a range of roles as mentioned by the other commenters. You should consider applying to an HR rotation program which will likely give you exposure to a few different areas of HR.