My journey began years ago. I started thinking about how to manage employees in my teen years, when I worked for the family business. It’s as if my passion for employment law and human resources was already engraved in me before I knew I would have a career in the profession.
In this video, I talk about some of the things I wish I had known before I pursued this path. Instead of going to law school, perhaps I would have been a VP of HR or something by now. But that’s neither here, nor there. I’m happy being an HR consultant because it’s rewarding in so many ways.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the video.
#1 You will be the go to person for a lot of things.
Especially if you are resourceful, well connected and a trust worthy person. There is nothing wrong with this, but however, your limits will be stretched because employees really need someone to rely upon. You will become the investigator, psychologist, police, company directory, IT and the librarian. A lot of employees will use HR as the default department for all things. But you have to direct them to the appropriate department.
#2 You will be ignored if you do not speak up.
So it’s no time to be a shrinking violet. However, there are times when you will still be ignored if you do speak up so be prepared. HR tends to be one of those departments that becomes a doormat for unethical practices. It’s up to you to do your research and know that sometimes the hiring managers are wrong, and you have to be the one who tells them. Otherwise, your silence and your willingness to play along with unethical and often times illegal practices will land everyone in hot water.
#3 HR can be political.
Very political and at times unethical. So you have to choose your organizations wisely as well as your managers. Often times I found myself taking jobs on a whim or out of desperation and it should have never been that way. I had a family to take care of as a single mother and so I felt as if I didn’t have a choice or didn’t deserve the positions I had, but I should have always been confident in my knowledge skills and abilities to get the job done.
#4 Do not assume you will be supported with your career growth
Just because your manager is certified and others in your department are certified, do not assume they will be supportive of your certification journey. Also, do not assume the organization will help you pay for your certification.
- This goes back to the politics in the organization. Everyone can be out for themselves, so you have to choose your allies, associates and team mates wisely.
#5 Find a Mentor
You will need to find mentorship outside of the organization because there may not be support from within your current employer
#6 Always be networking.
This actually should be applied to any career path because you never know where your next opportunity will come from. You want to situate yourself amongst people who will speak for your character and your work in a positive way.
#7 You will need employment law knowledge
You have to beef up your legal knowledge and stay informed of what is going on with employment law and other things that will affect your organization. This will include state, local and federal regulations. Safety, risks, and other financial matters are important as well. You do not want to place yourself or your employer at risk when you blindly follow the lead of some of the managers you will be working with throughout your journey.
#8 It is ok to know more than what your job requires.
Do not let others discourage you from obtaining more knowledge. If you want to attend a conference, if you want to go to the nearest SHRM meeting, do that for yourself, do not wait. People will have a tendency to think you’re trying to replace them when really you’re just trying to be knowledgeable and strategic. If you don’t understand how things work in your organization, begin researching and getting to know each of the people in each department so you can learn more about what it takes. You will know more about their jobs so you can support them whether you will need to create processes and procedures manuals for them later or you will need to recruit for them. At least you know what the basic requirements are for their positions.
#9 Keep Your Mental Health In Check
You will have to look out for your mental health because the job is very tasking. You will work long days. You will have to understand both sides of the disagreements. You will have to make the decision to terminate people, you will need to understand what the rules are and the ethics. You will need to be the voice of reason, you will need to tell the managers to kick rocks because they’re doing something they have no business doing.
#10 Get certified or some form of formal education.
For goodness sake, just bite the bullet and do it. Do not make excuses about money, time, or lack of support. Just invest in yourself, especially if you’re passionate about this career path. You have nothing to lose and there is so much you will learn in the process.
Where are you in your career journey? Are you currently working on your degree? Studying up for your certification? Leave some comments, I would love to hear from you.