Happy New Year - This Will Be the Best Year Ever (Says Spongebob)

Happy New Year!!!!

I Feel Your Pain

Today, I had a former employee call in to ask me how he could come back to the company. I felt very bad for him because of the reason he was discharged. I could tell from his voice he was depressed. He said he has been looking for work since his dismissal in the fall, yet we are in a slow job market.

Although, I was not downsized I do feel his pain. I could hear the desperation in his voice. He wants to work but, he just can't find anything.

I guess I feel his plight so much because of how long it took me to find this position. I have noticed that people that call and ask me for help I go above and beyond to help them. I give them pointers and contacts. Hey, I am paying it forward, just like some people did for me.

How to Do What I Did (If I Can Do It...)

Now that I have successfully transitioned into HR, as I've stated in another post this blog will now be dedicated to helping others gain entry into the field.

If you've read my blog you will know what it has taken for me to enter this field. Some days I was so optimistic things would happen for me. Then I would be let down that they did not. I would become very discouraged and despondant. So my first lesson to all those reading is to think about whether this field is right for you. It takes a person who is highly organized, wants to help others and has great customer service skills. That's right customer service skills. Customer service is not just for department stores and fast food. It will be for both the internal and external customers.

Your internal customer may be someone who wants to know about changing a W-4 or a beneficiary. Your external customer may be someone verifying employement or wanting to know about the staus of their application.

The first thing I would suggest you do is find out whether you are a people person. Can you handle juggling more than one priority do you have patience and do you practice good judgment? An HR professional must possess those minimal qualities to at least get started in the field.

A good place to get started is at Monster.com. They have great advice for transitioning into Human Resources. The advice can be used for those who are totally new to the field or those who want to grow in the field.

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search-essentials/human-resources/career-changers/management/Transitioning-into-HR/home.aspx

This site was very helpful to me because it showed that you did not need an advanced degree to be in the field. In some of the stories it showed how people were in the field because of a management decision. In other words they just happened into the field. Of course if this were the case you wouldn't need help to transition. With that said, the website does help you to understand sometimes it can take some work to move into the field.

Another good site is SHRM. Now this site is constructed more for the person who is already in the field What it is good for, is learning the industry lingo and trends. You will be able to impress a hiring manager with your ability to learn about HR without actually ever having practiced.

http://www.shrm.org/

Word of the week: Practioner - One who practices Human Resources and uses best business practices.