First and foremost, research HR jobs on the internet. The Society for Human Resource Management's website, in particular, provides top notch information on the various roles that HR jobs can take. HR generalists and HR specialist jobs are, as you may guess, very different from each other. HR generalists may work for smaller companies and end up having HR jobs that cover much more work than an HR specialist might at a larger company that can staff a larger HR department.
If you are still in school, begin to take HR-related courses such as business administration or tax law. Labor relations, employee assistance and arbitration are all topics that you should study while still in school. A bachelor's degree or master's degree from an accredited four-year university will prove absolutely invaluable once you graduate and being your search for HR job opportunities. HR laws change frequently and companies rely on their HR department to stay up to date on business-related laws. Companies that deal with labor unions or government employees in particular rely on their HR department to be extremely knowledgeable about the latest labor laws and government regulations.
Study up on fields such as compensation and employee benefits. The vast majority of an HR job deals with these two components and it will prove helpful to have the necessary understanding of both. HR jobs and HR manager jobs in general often must make sure that a company is treating employees fairly and meeting legal requirements. HR employees also often heavily research health and life insurance plans, as well as investment companies for employee retirement accounts and provide guidance to business managers in choosing the appropriate plans.
Researching staffing agencies and recruiting jobs is also a great way to familiarize yourself with the HR world. Recruiters perform the invaluable HR job of recruiting new talent, screening applicants for HR job openings and many other positions within a given company. Companies very often contact staffing agencies when they have HR job vacancies, making recruiters and staffing agencies the first step in the hiring process.
HR consultants and managers are people frequently hired by companies to advise on specific HR issues and help solve staffing problems or employee benefit issues.
Whatever your HR job goal is, make sure to educate yourself on what you are working towards and take the necessary steps to prepare yourself for the HR job opportunity you want.
