Job Responsibilities
Manage the Employment Assistance Program for a population of
20,000+ including active duty service members, family members,
Department of Defense civilians, and others seeking employment.
I provide one-on-one counseling, job inventory assessments,
motivating, coaching, and instruction for job searches.
As a way to assist customers with job searching, I facilitate
numerous workshops and develop other courses to enhance
customers?? marketability. Workshops include topics such as "How
to Write a Federal Resume", "Writing Knowledge, Skills, and
Abilities Responses" which a required part of many federal job
applications.
I personally review resumes and other application material and
provide guidance and advice on format, wording, and styles.
With several years experience in the private sector as an HR
Manager, I provide instruction and guidance on the Federal and
private sector employment processes. I teach customers how to
use the resource library which is stocked with the latest books
on resumes, interviewing, networking, how to build your own
business, financial aid assistance for continuing education,
internet job searches, as well as the market outlook for
occupations. The resource library is equipped with computers
and specialized software so that assistance can be provided for
internet job searches, buidling resumes (both formal and for
online use), and learning software packages. Other programs are
provided such as Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing so that customers
can learn to type, take typing speed tests, and even take a
certificate with them showing tested typing speeds.
I actively seek out potential employment opportunities for
customers by close contact with HR offices, contractors, and
private organizations as well as participation and networking in
organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce and the
Association of Job Search Trainers.
I organize, coordinate, and direct the annual job fair for
civilian and federal employers.
I coordinate and deliver Department of Labor mandatory 4-day
workshop for active duty military transitioning to civilian
sector with emphasis on job search, veteran??s benefits, and
education.
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Job Requirements
As previously stated in the first survey, the Master's in
Organizational Behavior is focused on the Human Resources
function. Southern Wesleyan University provides a high quality
program for working adults who wish to continue their
education. Since the admission requirements are for working
aduls, the program is fast paced and intensive over an 18-month
period. If you miss a class, you must wait until another class
begins or attend the missed class at another location. This was
one of the primary reason for attenting Southern Wesleyan since
it was so close to home, offered compressed classes (4 hours one
night a week with additional assignments in a study group), and
in comparison to other colleges offered very personalized
assistance. The approximate size of a class was 18 students
which allowed plenty of one-on-one time. Professors were
extremely helpful and knowledgeable with impressive
credentials. I attribute the very pleasant atmosphere to the
fact that this is a private Christian college focused on
education. Adjunct faculty taught many of the business classes
and provided a real world view of the topic at hand. Perhaps
this was one of the most valuable components of the program.
Rather than simply studying books, we learned through osmosis
from our peer students and their unique experiences in a wide
range of companies as well as from the instructors. The
workload was manageable if you dedicated reaonsable time to
studies each day. Near the end of the program, the workload was
difficult as I completed my master's thesis. Still, it was
accomplished while working full-time, building a home, and
supervising my 2 teenagers!
As an aside, I have compared the curriculum with colleges that
offer similar adult learning programs such as University of
Phoenix and Maryland University. I was pleasantly surprised to
see that the courses were virtually the same. I honestly
believe my experience was superior due to the fact that I was
able to attend on the main campus of SWU in addition to having
the resources (such as the library) of nearby Clemson
University).
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Uppers
I absolutely love working with and assisting people. Being in human resources
is the perfect job for me. It 'fits' my personality and affords me the
opportunity to solve problems on a daily basis. Another aspect of human resources
is that no 2 days will ever ber the same. Humans, by nature, crate some of the
most challenging obstacles for employers, and resolving those challenges are
motivating. Knowing that I make a difference in lives of others is truly
rewarding. I often receive thank you cards and gifts for finding a job for
someone. My response is always the same -- I didn't find the job. I only
assisting in the job search process.
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Downers
Human resources is often viewed as the people who make negative
decisions such as layoffs, terminations, decreases in benefits,
etc. Since I conducted investigations for years with a Fortune
500 company, many employees (including good friends) would dread
it when I walked toward them. The negative view can be
dispelled with education and communication that HR serves as a
strategic partner within a company, and should ensure that
policies and practices and consistent and fair. In addition,
employees should understand that a business must be profitable
to survive and sometimes that involves decisions that are not
positive for all concerned.
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Lifestyle
HR is a wonderful function for those that love to work with people! I often
have employees come by just to talk. In my opinion, highly successful HR
professionals have the ability to truly listen to concerns and issues, keep their
cool under pressure, and remain calm and focused even in diffucult situations. I
view HR as one of the most fun places to be in a company! After all, HR
encompasses pay and benefits which are so important to every employee.
Work hours can be long depending on the company and the complexity of the
operation. While working for a Fortune 500 company, I traveled frequently I
often held discussion forums with employees in locations all over the US,
sometimes covering 3 shifts in 2 days. If an emergency arised, I would have to
drop the current project, and attend to the priority situation sometimes on the
other side of the country. Workh ours differ tremendously from one company to
the next and with the level of responsibility.
Dress for HR in my career has always been professional, or business casual.
Even if other departments have a more relaxed dress code, HR is the department
that comes into contact with the public and with employees. Professional dress
is often mandatory in this occupation.
Diversity is of utmost importance in HR. As the workforce demographics change,
HR places (or should) emphasis on ensuring diversity is reflected and understood
in the workplace. HR champions this initiative to assist employees'
understanding of the term as well as ensuring that hiring, training, compensation
and other areas do not in any way hinder the diversity that should be reflected
in the demographics of the workforce.
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Compensation
As a Senior HR Specialist with a Fortune 500 company, I earned
$55k/year. Benefits were excellent, and salary increases were
on an annual basis and based on performance. In comparison, I
began my HR career in 1987 with a utility company at $18k/year.
In less than 7 years, I was earning $38k. More recently, I have
received offers for HR Manager positions in the range of $60-
70k. I prefer to do what I truly enjoy doing sometimes for less
money. Benefits range widely depending on company, but most
companies offer the following:
Life Insurance at approximatley 1 x base salary (free)
Supplemental Life (employee paid premium)
Short-term disability (usually employee paid premium)
Long-term disability (usually company paid)
Vacation leave (average 4 hours per pay period)
Sick leave (average 4 hours per pay period)
Holidays (Of course the government offers about 3 more than the
private sector)
Medical (typically have a choice of 3 or 4 plans with varying
plans)
Dental (employee usually shares in the premium)
401(k) Savings Plan (employee contributions)
Retirement plan (employer contributions)
Bonus programs for meeting performance goals (most manufacturing
companies in the Fortune 500 have some variation of a bonus plan)
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Advice to Jobseekers
Take a occupational test to see if you're a good fit! The most
succesful peopl e in HR are great listeners, soft spoken, and
truly care about people. A great sense of humor and the ability
to multi-task are essential. If you like to perform a task to
its completion in a sequential manner, this is NOT the field for
you! Compassion and great interpersonal skills are vital.
Being active in the community is also essential. HR is often
the spokesperson for the company, and being a good corporate
citizen is of paramount importance. The future of HR is bright
although there are probably more entry level jobs now with fewer
opportunities for advancement. As long as companies employ
people, there will be a need for HR!
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