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Hello! My name is Tracy and I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in the Training and Development Specialist field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! I have created a total of 13 questions. Comment on this post, answering all 13 questions to be a part of my assignment.?
This is the same set of questions as my other posts, but for a different career. Please help me and answer these following questions, thank you!
What profession did you choose? Why?
How many years of college did you need to go through?
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
Were you in a college program?
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them?
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path?
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job?
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8 answers
Updated
Daphne’s Answer
What profession did you choose? Why? From taking business classes in high school and being in a work study program in my senior year of high school, I watched and was drawn to the work of those in Human Resources. I went on to work in HR for a large company for over 18 years. Loved it because I could really help people rather it was with understanding company policies to recruiting and managing compensation projects.
How many years of college did you need to go through? I wanted to pursue a degree program in HR but the college my family could afford didn't offer so I received a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration and later a Master's degree in Human Resources Development. That's about 5 1/2 years of school
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I worked in customer service, retail and business sales before I landed my first HR job.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Look at why you want to hold the degree and if you why is strong enough to motivate you to put in the investment in time and money, then go for it. Like most things, try to pursue passion and not a paycheck.
Were you in a college program? No, I want not a part of a specific program.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I took a break to find work after earning my bachelor's degree but quickly learned that I either needed HR experience or an HR degree to break into the field.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Yes and no, during my senior year of high school I did come in contact with the HR leader but watched their role from afar. It was enough to motivate me to go in that direction.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? Yes, I was a part of SHRM (society for HR management) as well as held leadership roles in Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Association for Black Collegiates on my college campus.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years. In college, Business Law and Statistics were challenging for me. But most campuses provide tutoring and professors are available to help students who are struggling. Never hesitate or be ashamed to ask for help.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? I learned and continue to learn a lot including how to manage people and projects, organizational skills, presentation skills, how to support executives and the importance of mastering my craft.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? Initially, since my degree was not in HR, I found it hard to secure a job in that area. However, in the midst of pursuing my master's degree and working for a large company, I was eventually able to swap into an HR job as my company headquarters moved to another state which opened up the opportunity for me to start my HR career.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? Simply having a love to help people is all that is needed. Keep your skills sharp and continue to learn.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? There are always policy changes and having to pivot quickly in order to keep employees updated on key changes. Some employees work in the field and cannot easily see messaging so reaching these frontline employees is a constant challenging.
How many years of college did you need to go through? I wanted to pursue a degree program in HR but the college my family could afford didn't offer so I received a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration and later a Master's degree in Human Resources Development. That's about 5 1/2 years of school
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I worked in customer service, retail and business sales before I landed my first HR job.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Look at why you want to hold the degree and if you why is strong enough to motivate you to put in the investment in time and money, then go for it. Like most things, try to pursue passion and not a paycheck.
Were you in a college program? No, I want not a part of a specific program.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I took a break to find work after earning my bachelor's degree but quickly learned that I either needed HR experience or an HR degree to break into the field.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Yes and no, during my senior year of high school I did come in contact with the HR leader but watched their role from afar. It was enough to motivate me to go in that direction.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? Yes, I was a part of SHRM (society for HR management) as well as held leadership roles in Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Association for Black Collegiates on my college campus.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years. In college, Business Law and Statistics were challenging for me. But most campuses provide tutoring and professors are available to help students who are struggling. Never hesitate or be ashamed to ask for help.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? I learned and continue to learn a lot including how to manage people and projects, organizational skills, presentation skills, how to support executives and the importance of mastering my craft.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? Initially, since my degree was not in HR, I found it hard to secure a job in that area. However, in the midst of pursuing my master's degree and working for a large company, I was eventually able to swap into an HR job as my company headquarters moved to another state which opened up the opportunity for me to start my HR career.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? Simply having a love to help people is all that is needed. Keep your skills sharp and continue to learn.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? There are always policy changes and having to pivot quickly in order to keep employees updated on key changes. Some employees work in the field and cannot easily see messaging so reaching these frontline employees is a constant challenging.
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Ryan’s Answer
Hey there Tracy! Hope my answers help!
What profession did you choose? Why? I am a Senior Trainer specializing in leadership and sales training
How many years of college did you need to go through? 4 years undergraduate degree, 1.5 years for a professional certification, 2 years for a masters degree
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? Job recruiter, sales, teacher, afterschool program teacher, retail sales, retail management
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? a Ph.D. is a HUGE time and money investment, I would reflect on what you're passionate about and if a Ph.D. is going to create opportunities for you. When you do know what you want to be doing and are working in that field, find mentors to work with and pick their brains on if they have a Ph.D. and what benefits it has given them. I'd also when looking at potential employers for your career look into what support they give towards their employees pursuing an advanced degree.
Were you in a college program? I'm not sure what specifically you mean, in my undergraduate college I was not a part of any program, in my masters degree program I did a student teaching program which is the educational world equivalent of an internship.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I did, I went back and got a professional certification (media production) about 2 years after my undergraduate degree. Then I went about 10 years before I went back and got my masters degree.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? When I got my masters degree I did, I have a masters in education so for part of that I shadowed and worked alongside teachers in the field.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? Nope
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years: Math, I was always bad at it
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? A lot, probably the biggest were around working with people. Having a better understanding of emotional intelligence and how to motivate and encourage people and get their engagement.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? Lots, there will always be obstacles. When I was starting out trying to be a teacher, I had no teaching experience so it was hard to get interviews. Don't be afraid to look outside of the traditional avenues for that career, I couldn't get interviews for schools so I found a non profit organization that ran an afterschool program and worked with them to build my experience levels. I knew I loved teaching and learned about corporate training which is teaching but for adults at their jobs, I never would have thought of that in the beginning when I was starting out. Also I would interview for positions I thought I was perfect for and I wouldn't get them, that's going to happen, it's important to ask for feedback when you don't get the position and work on that and keep plugging away.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? When people think about corporate training they picture you standing at the front of the room training people, that makes up the minority of your time. The majority of your time you're doing administrative work, you're not always 'on platform' training something.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? Understanding that you can only open doors for people, you can't make them walk through them. As a trainer I can teach you what you need to know, I can help you practice it, I can make it relevant and connect it to what's important to you but at the end of the day I can't make someone do something they don't want to do.
What profession did you choose? Why? I am a Senior Trainer specializing in leadership and sales training
How many years of college did you need to go through? 4 years undergraduate degree, 1.5 years for a professional certification, 2 years for a masters degree
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? Job recruiter, sales, teacher, afterschool program teacher, retail sales, retail management
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? a Ph.D. is a HUGE time and money investment, I would reflect on what you're passionate about and if a Ph.D. is going to create opportunities for you. When you do know what you want to be doing and are working in that field, find mentors to work with and pick their brains on if they have a Ph.D. and what benefits it has given them. I'd also when looking at potential employers for your career look into what support they give towards their employees pursuing an advanced degree.
Were you in a college program? I'm not sure what specifically you mean, in my undergraduate college I was not a part of any program, in my masters degree program I did a student teaching program which is the educational world equivalent of an internship.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I did, I went back and got a professional certification (media production) about 2 years after my undergraduate degree. Then I went about 10 years before I went back and got my masters degree.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? When I got my masters degree I did, I have a masters in education so for part of that I shadowed and worked alongside teachers in the field.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? Nope
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years: Math, I was always bad at it
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? A lot, probably the biggest were around working with people. Having a better understanding of emotional intelligence and how to motivate and encourage people and get their engagement.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? Lots, there will always be obstacles. When I was starting out trying to be a teacher, I had no teaching experience so it was hard to get interviews. Don't be afraid to look outside of the traditional avenues for that career, I couldn't get interviews for schools so I found a non profit organization that ran an afterschool program and worked with them to build my experience levels. I knew I loved teaching and learned about corporate training which is teaching but for adults at their jobs, I never would have thought of that in the beginning when I was starting out. Also I would interview for positions I thought I was perfect for and I wouldn't get them, that's going to happen, it's important to ask for feedback when you don't get the position and work on that and keep plugging away.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? When people think about corporate training they picture you standing at the front of the room training people, that makes up the minority of your time. The majority of your time you're doing administrative work, you're not always 'on platform' training something.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? Understanding that you can only open doors for people, you can't make them walk through them. As a trainer I can teach you what you need to know, I can help you practice it, I can make it relevant and connect it to what's important to you but at the end of the day I can't make someone do something they don't want to do.
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Laurie’s Answer
What an awesome assignment Tracy!
What profession did you choose? Why? I fell into Training and Development, I thought I wanted to become a lawyer (changed my mind) and then went into non-profit where I fell in love with T&D.
How many years of college did you need to go through? I got a 4 year degree. Mine was in Political Science so I really didn't leverage the degree itself, but having the degree was important to get me noticed.
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I was a summer camp counselor for quite a few years and worked at the Gap for about a month. I graduated from college and got my first job as an Administrative Assistant at a non-profit women's organization focused on community development and training.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Take your time. Don't rush to get a Master's or PhD, you want to figure out what you love and where you want to specialize before going for an advanced degree. Many companies offer internship for people getting their masters but they want some real life experience first.
Were you in a college program? I got a degree but didn't get any internship in college (I wish I did!)
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I didn't have to, but I chose to. I wanted to challenge myself to further develop so going for an MBA at night gave me exposure to other professionals and helped me grow knowledge to enhance my credibility.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Not on purpose, but I wound up working for some amazing women who served as mentors and helped me grow by watching them and taking on stretch assignments.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? No, when I was in high school and college there weren't any that I was aware of. I would recommend looking at a student membership to Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), it's inexpensive and offers great support to people looking to build a career.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years. I didn't really appreciate school until after high school/college. I struggled with math quite a bit (still do) and wasn't great in accounting.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? Influence, leadership, presentation skills, facilitation (teaching), organizational skills, time management.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? I was probably my own obstacle. I didn't always have the confidence to go for a new/bigger job or put myself out there to try new things when I was younger. I thankfully had a lot of people around me who cared and pushed me when I didn't push myself.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? It's awesome! But people look at Training & Development and think it's easy. You need to have an expertise with significant experience to do well in the field, just like you do in finance, sales or any other career. Be curious and never stop challenging yourself to try new things.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? Change management. Getting people to let go of what's been done in the past and be willing to try new ways of working. Training & Development is often about trying to help people learn a new skill or change a behavior, which is really hard work.
What profession did you choose? Why? I fell into Training and Development, I thought I wanted to become a lawyer (changed my mind) and then went into non-profit where I fell in love with T&D.
How many years of college did you need to go through? I got a 4 year degree. Mine was in Political Science so I really didn't leverage the degree itself, but having the degree was important to get me noticed.
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I was a summer camp counselor for quite a few years and worked at the Gap for about a month. I graduated from college and got my first job as an Administrative Assistant at a non-profit women's organization focused on community development and training.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Take your time. Don't rush to get a Master's or PhD, you want to figure out what you love and where you want to specialize before going for an advanced degree. Many companies offer internship for people getting their masters but they want some real life experience first.
Were you in a college program? I got a degree but didn't get any internship in college (I wish I did!)
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I didn't have to, but I chose to. I wanted to challenge myself to further develop so going for an MBA at night gave me exposure to other professionals and helped me grow knowledge to enhance my credibility.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Not on purpose, but I wound up working for some amazing women who served as mentors and helped me grow by watching them and taking on stretch assignments.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? No, when I was in high school and college there weren't any that I was aware of. I would recommend looking at a student membership to Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), it's inexpensive and offers great support to people looking to build a career.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years. I didn't really appreciate school until after high school/college. I struggled with math quite a bit (still do) and wasn't great in accounting.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? Influence, leadership, presentation skills, facilitation (teaching), organizational skills, time management.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? I was probably my own obstacle. I didn't always have the confidence to go for a new/bigger job or put myself out there to try new things when I was younger. I thankfully had a lot of people around me who cared and pushed me when I didn't push myself.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? It's awesome! But people look at Training & Development and think it's easy. You need to have an expertise with significant experience to do well in the field, just like you do in finance, sales or any other career. Be curious and never stop challenging yourself to try new things.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? Change management. Getting people to let go of what's been done in the past and be willing to try new ways of working. Training & Development is often about trying to help people learn a new skill or change a behavior, which is really hard work.
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Kristen’s Answer
What profession did you choose? Why? Internal communications. I love helping to equip, empower and engage employees to feel connected to their company's purpose and feel confident and equipped to do their jobs better.
How many years of college did you need to go through? 4 BS, 1.5 MS a masters degree isn't required, but I was going back for additional schooling and it takes the same amount of time and shows progression to get a masters than a second bachelor's
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I worked in advertising, I worked in marketing, then I moved to training and development, and back to marketing.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Only go for a Ph.D if it's required in your field and results in more pay and opportunities that are not available without it. Otherwise it is a waste of time and money. You will be in a lot of debt and companies will pass over your resume. Most companies and careers value real-world proven experience over a lot of classroom and book knowledge.
Were you in a college program? question is unclear - like an internship? internship yes, working full-time for college credit no.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? yes, and I went back to school for a professional certification to pivot again
Did you shadow another professional in the field? no, learned on the job and sought out mentors
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? yes, i was in an advertising club at school
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years accounting and economics were required for business marketing degrees, but i'm on the creative and strategic planning side of the profession so those were difficult for me and I've never needed them or used them.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? strategic planning, prioritizing, collaborating, negotiating, organizational skills, training
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? yes, many men in leadership positions do not help open opportunities for women. They advance less experienced and less qualified men they have more in common with. You have to find your own mentors and seek out opportunities, without seeming too pushy. It's a balancing act. Keep a good attitude, life is not fair, but you have to shake it off and be grateful for every open door and then make the most of it.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? I wish I knew earlier the difference between Advertising and Marketing, I wish I'd spent some time learning about graphic design and programming. Those would have come in handy. Understanding metrics and measurements of the impact of marketing programs is critical evidence of the work you do. You cannot skip that step of measuring before moving on to the next fun start of a project.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? budget cuts, decisions at levels high above where I work affect the start and completion of my work, or even whether I continue to have a job. You can have the perfect plan and work very hard toward it, and things out of your control cancel the project and you have nothing to show for all the work. When budgets are tight, marketing and training are always the first areas to be eliminated. I love what I do so I've had to develop a thick skin and be ready to move on to something better.
How many years of college did you need to go through? 4 BS, 1.5 MS a masters degree isn't required, but I was going back for additional schooling and it takes the same amount of time and shows progression to get a masters than a second bachelor's
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I worked in advertising, I worked in marketing, then I moved to training and development, and back to marketing.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Only go for a Ph.D if it's required in your field and results in more pay and opportunities that are not available without it. Otherwise it is a waste of time and money. You will be in a lot of debt and companies will pass over your resume. Most companies and careers value real-world proven experience over a lot of classroom and book knowledge.
Were you in a college program? question is unclear - like an internship? internship yes, working full-time for college credit no.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? yes, and I went back to school for a professional certification to pivot again
Did you shadow another professional in the field? no, learned on the job and sought out mentors
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? yes, i was in an advertising club at school
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years accounting and economics were required for business marketing degrees, but i'm on the creative and strategic planning side of the profession so those were difficult for me and I've never needed them or used them.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? strategic planning, prioritizing, collaborating, negotiating, organizational skills, training
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? yes, many men in leadership positions do not help open opportunities for women. They advance less experienced and less qualified men they have more in common with. You have to find your own mentors and seek out opportunities, without seeming too pushy. It's a balancing act. Keep a good attitude, life is not fair, but you have to shake it off and be grateful for every open door and then make the most of it.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? I wish I knew earlier the difference between Advertising and Marketing, I wish I'd spent some time learning about graphic design and programming. Those would have come in handy. Understanding metrics and measurements of the impact of marketing programs is critical evidence of the work you do. You cannot skip that step of measuring before moving on to the next fun start of a project.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? budget cuts, decisions at levels high above where I work affect the start and completion of my work, or even whether I continue to have a job. You can have the perfect plan and work very hard toward it, and things out of your control cancel the project and you have nothing to show for all the work. When budgets are tight, marketing and training are always the first areas to be eliminated. I love what I do so I've had to develop a thick skin and be ready to move on to something better.
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Mikel Anne’s Answer
What profession did you choose? I kind of fell into a position of training and instruction design. Why? It started when my first real job out of college was working at a bank in a back-office lending support role where I was responsible for updating a user manual. I then moved into another position at the bank where I was teaching users how to work with various internal applications used in the branch network. Things continued to evolve from there.
How many years of college did you need to go through? Four years of college and I returned to college about 20 years later to get a Project Management certificate.
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? During high school and college, I worked various retail jobs at malls. After graduating, I started working at a bank and moved up to a Vice President position over the 20 years I was there. At the end of the bank job, I was a training director for a three-state region. Then I moved to my current job at a major tel com where I provide instructional collateral for our users.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? I cannot answer that question, as that's not a path that I took.
Were you in a college program? My degree was not in education. My degree was in English Literature. I think a humanities degree can take you many places.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I thought I would be changing careers and went back to school after being outsourced. I earned a certification in project management and, somewhere along the line, decided I really wanted to remain in the training and development field. It helped being back in that learning environment for me to realize how much I loved training.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Yes. I've definitely shadowed others over the years. If a course had already been developed, I could shadow the training to learn the course. If there was no existing training, I would work with SMEs to analyze the need and then develop and deliver the content.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? I did not.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years? Probably math and science-related courses. I still got good grades in them, but I had to work very hard for those grades.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? Presentation skills, dealing with difficult participants, learning about various learning styles of participants, finding ways to engage the audience, manual writing skills, working with various video software (Camtasia, Captivate, Powtoon, etc.).
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? Absolutely. Most companies feel that training is a necessary evil. Training is often the last thing that even thought about when a company is working on a new application. How did you overcome them? I had to show my value and find ways to measure the effectiveness of my training.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? I think it's really important to love working with people. This job is about working with people and helping people learn.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? See my answer above regarding companies not truly valuing what training and development brings to the table and the fact that good training or a complete lack of a training program can make or break the success of a project.
How many years of college did you need to go through? Four years of college and I returned to college about 20 years later to get a Project Management certificate.
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? During high school and college, I worked various retail jobs at malls. After graduating, I started working at a bank and moved up to a Vice President position over the 20 years I was there. At the end of the bank job, I was a training director for a three-state region. Then I moved to my current job at a major tel com where I provide instructional collateral for our users.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? I cannot answer that question, as that's not a path that I took.
Were you in a college program? My degree was not in education. My degree was in English Literature. I think a humanities degree can take you many places.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I thought I would be changing careers and went back to school after being outsourced. I earned a certification in project management and, somewhere along the line, decided I really wanted to remain in the training and development field. It helped being back in that learning environment for me to realize how much I loved training.
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Yes. I've definitely shadowed others over the years. If a course had already been developed, I could shadow the training to learn the course. If there was no existing training, I would work with SMEs to analyze the need and then develop and deliver the content.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? I did not.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years? Probably math and science-related courses. I still got good grades in them, but I had to work very hard for those grades.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? Presentation skills, dealing with difficult participants, learning about various learning styles of participants, finding ways to engage the audience, manual writing skills, working with various video software (Camtasia, Captivate, Powtoon, etc.).
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? Absolutely. Most companies feel that training is a necessary evil. Training is often the last thing that even thought about when a company is working on a new application. How did you overcome them? I had to show my value and find ways to measure the effectiveness of my training.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? I think it's really important to love working with people. This job is about working with people and helping people learn.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? See my answer above regarding companies not truly valuing what training and development brings to the table and the fact that good training or a complete lack of a training program can make or break the success of a project.
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Charlie’s Answer
What profession did you choose? Why? I chose to work as a HR generalist because it provides me with the opportunity to work in multiple HR realms (including training & development). I originally stumbled into the HR field when my manager asked me to fill in for HR while another professional was taking a leave of absence. During that timeframe, I discovered my passion for HR and made the decision to pursue the HR career path.
How many years of college did you need to go through? I went through a total 6 years of college (2 years for Associate of Arts at my local community college, 2 additional years to obtain my Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and 2 years for my master's degree in Human Resource Management).
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I was a department manager for 4.5 years, zone supervisor for 2.5 years, HR business partner for 3 years, and a senior HR business partner for 2 years prior to being promoted into my current role as a HR Manager responsible for supervising other salaried HR business partners.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Figure out what career opportunities prefer or require a Ph.D. prior to making this significant investment. As a HR professional that's hired other HR professionals, I've personally found that a Master's Degree is the highest level of education typically sought for HR roles. You likely won't need a Ph.D. unless you're interested in becoming a professor at the university level.
Were you in a college program? My local university's SHRM chapter (Society for Human Resource Management).
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I went back to school when I made the decision to transition into the HR career field, but I completed all 6 years of college consecutively for my degree programs (associates, bachelors, and masters).
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Yes! I job shadowed my Market HR Manager so I could get a better understanding of their day-to-day job functions and role within the organization. This was a huge eye opener for me and part of the reason I made the ultimate decision to pursue the HR career path.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? I was a member of my university's SHRM chapter. This was a great opportunity for me to get a better understanding of the HR profession while I pursued my education. I also had the pleasure of serving as president of my SHRM chapter during the last year of my bachelors degree program.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years? I'm a native English speaker, but I struggled the most in English because I found it challenging to properly identify the parts of speech. I would confuse the verb & adverb with one another. I also dreaded the assignments where I had to identify the preposition, conjunction, and interjections of a sentence.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? I have a much better grasp of employment laws and regulations in my role. Business Law and Employment Law were two of my favorite courses in college and I still rely on the foundational concepts I learned during these courses each and every day.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? I didn't get the first HR role I applied for, but I didn't give up. I kept applying for HR openings until I secured one within my existing organization.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? The HR profession has two primary career paths that you can pursue: generalist or specialist. A HR generalist has a large scope of responsibilities that touch upon a wide variety of HR functions in a broad capacity, while a HR specialist focuses on one particular HR discipline with advanced in-depth knowledge and responsibilities within a specific area of expertise.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? Handling interpersonal conflicts between coworkers, especially when the complaints are he said/she said without an independent witness.
How many years of college did you need to go through? I went through a total 6 years of college (2 years for Associate of Arts at my local community college, 2 additional years to obtain my Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and 2 years for my master's degree in Human Resource Management).
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? I was a department manager for 4.5 years, zone supervisor for 2.5 years, HR business partner for 3 years, and a senior HR business partner for 2 years prior to being promoted into my current role as a HR Manager responsible for supervising other salaried HR business partners.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? Figure out what career opportunities prefer or require a Ph.D. prior to making this significant investment. As a HR professional that's hired other HR professionals, I've personally found that a Master's Degree is the highest level of education typically sought for HR roles. You likely won't need a Ph.D. unless you're interested in becoming a professor at the university level.
Were you in a college program? My local university's SHRM chapter (Society for Human Resource Management).
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? I went back to school when I made the decision to transition into the HR career field, but I completed all 6 years of college consecutively for my degree programs (associates, bachelors, and masters).
Did you shadow another professional in the field? Yes! I job shadowed my Market HR Manager so I could get a better understanding of their day-to-day job functions and role within the organization. This was a huge eye opener for me and part of the reason I made the ultimate decision to pursue the HR career path.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? I was a member of my university's SHRM chapter. This was a great opportunity for me to get a better understanding of the HR profession while I pursued my education. I also had the pleasure of serving as president of my SHRM chapter during the last year of my bachelors degree program.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years? I'm a native English speaker, but I struggled the most in English because I found it challenging to properly identify the parts of speech. I would confuse the verb & adverb with one another. I also dreaded the assignments where I had to identify the preposition, conjunction, and interjections of a sentence.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? I have a much better grasp of employment laws and regulations in my role. Business Law and Employment Law were two of my favorite courses in college and I still rely on the foundational concepts I learned during these courses each and every day.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them? I didn't get the first HR role I applied for, but I didn't give up. I kept applying for HR openings until I secured one within my existing organization.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path? The HR profession has two primary career paths that you can pursue: generalist or specialist. A HR generalist has a large scope of responsibilities that touch upon a wide variety of HR functions in a broad capacity, while a HR specialist focuses on one particular HR discipline with advanced in-depth knowledge and responsibilities within a specific area of expertise.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job? Handling interpersonal conflicts between coworkers, especially when the complaints are he said/she said without an independent witness.
Updated
Paul’s Answer
What profession did you choose?
Retail Sales Training Why? I was a rep then manager and found a need to onboard people more quickly. I developed an in-house retail sales program which evolved into a corporate HR meeting/discussion. My idea led to a career change from sales to training.
How many years of college did you need to go through?
I had a AA in Business at the time. I went back to achieve a BS in Business once a leadership opportunity in L&D presented itself.
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
I am now in the content authoring space within L&D. Prior to this role I was a delivery facilitation trainer in a few different organizations.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
I found I was comfortable in the progress I have made over the years and never thought about a Ph.D. I did, but did not act, on pursuing a Master's degree.
Were you in a college program?
My focus on business in college helped me in connecting with various audiences.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
I did go back to achieve a BS in Business to add to my credentials.
Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Yes, when I had the HR meeting and was partnering with them, I found a mentor to help me understand learning dynamics, including reinforcement of instruction then practice.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
No, but did connect with LinkedIn social groups focused on L&D.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
Funny you ask this. I struggled with delivering presentations and speeches. Goes to prove you never know what your career path may lead you. Be open to the possibilities.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
Being comfortable with focusing on what is next. Holding onto the past and the work you have done does not mean anything in really short order. Time and technology change quickly. You have to adapt and be open to change.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them?
The main obstacles I faced were people. Most do not know how adult learn best. I found most this you can say it or put it in print and the end user will be trained. Learning takes time. One need to acclimate with the new information, ponder it, wrestle with it, make mistakes. This is part of the learning journey. It takes time to convince people to allow learners time to learn and be successful through ongoing coaching and development.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path?
Seek and welcome feedback from other: participants, mentors, leaders, colleagues. I have found most want to help you better your best.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job?
Change. Policies, procedures, methodologies all change constantly. Learn to be adaptable, flexible, and agile to be successful in L&D.
Wishing you the best. I hope this helps.
Retail Sales Training Why? I was a rep then manager and found a need to onboard people more quickly. I developed an in-house retail sales program which evolved into a corporate HR meeting/discussion. My idea led to a career change from sales to training.
How many years of college did you need to go through?
I had a AA in Business at the time. I went back to achieve a BS in Business once a leadership opportunity in L&D presented itself.
What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
I am now in the content authoring space within L&D. Prior to this role I was a delivery facilitation trainer in a few different organizations.
How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
I found I was comfortable in the progress I have made over the years and never thought about a Ph.D. I did, but did not act, on pursuing a Master's degree.
Were you in a college program?
My focus on business in college helped me in connecting with various audiences.
Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
I did go back to achieve a BS in Business to add to my credentials.
Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Yes, when I had the HR meeting and was partnering with them, I found a mentor to help me understand learning dynamics, including reinforcement of instruction then practice.
Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
No, but did connect with LinkedIn social groups focused on L&D.
Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years?
Funny you ask this. I struggled with delivering presentations and speeches. Goes to prove you never know what your career path may lead you. Be open to the possibilities.
What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
Being comfortable with focusing on what is next. Holding onto the past and the work you have done does not mean anything in really short order. Time and technology change quickly. You have to adapt and be open to change.
Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them?
The main obstacles I faced were people. Most do not know how adult learn best. I found most this you can say it or put it in print and the end user will be trained. Learning takes time. One need to acclimate with the new information, ponder it, wrestle with it, make mistakes. This is part of the learning journey. It takes time to convince people to allow learners time to learn and be successful through ongoing coaching and development.
What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path?
Seek and welcome feedback from other: participants, mentors, leaders, colleagues. I have found most want to help you better your best.
What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job?
Change. Policies, procedures, methodologies all change constantly. Learn to be adaptable, flexible, and agile to be successful in L&D.
Wishing you the best. I hope this helps.
Updated
Trapper’s Answer
Hi Tracy - not sure if you are still looking for answers on this, but your questions would be ideally suited for a survey. You can create quick surveys using google forms or qualtrics (among others) and then simply share a link out that people can access. This will help to organize the data you receive in a way that is more useful.
Share out this link on social media or have someone post it on LinkedIn for you to get a huge variety of responses. This is a helpful way to gather input in the future. Good luck!
Create short surveys using google forms, Qualtrics, or other online survey creation companies
Share this link out broadly in social media and/or have other adults help sending out the link
Share out this link on social media or have someone post it on LinkedIn for you to get a huge variety of responses. This is a helpful way to gather input in the future. Good luck!
Trapper recommends the following next steps: