DPG<\/a>, I\u2019ve spent a career helping people enhance their HR career. DPG is an online community and support network helping individuals achieve levels 1-7 of CIPD training \u2013 the most important qualification in the industry. <\/p>\nAside from the relevant qualifications, here are my top tips for securing an exciting role in HR after university.<\/p>\n
Choose the right degree<\/strong>
\nChoosing the right course can be a tricky decision, and one that shouldn\u2019t be rushed. Choose something that you\u2019re passionate about, which also provides vocational experience. <\/p>\nIt\u2019s an incredibly competitive job market out there, so make sure any learning gives you the practical experience employers want. HR managers are looking for people with excellent IT and computing experience, organisational skills, time-keeping, and stellar written and numeracy ability.<\/p>\n
Get involved with societies at university<\/strong>
\nI studied Business Studies at Brighton University, which served as a great base for what would be my future career.
\nI\u2019d recommend societies to any student \u2013 they provide a fun way of gaining vocational experience and developing your social interaction skills. Societies also provide a wide network of people who you can connect with and learn from. <\/p>\nSocial skills are sometimes an underrated quality in job seekers. But in a constantly changing economic and social landscape, making sure everyone feels secure, comfortable and respected at work is an important skillset \u2013 especially in HR.<\/p>\n
Carry on learning after you graduate<\/strong>
\nWhen you graduate, it can be tempting to think that your education is now over. My advice is to treat university as the start of your studies, and don\u2019t stop after graduating. <\/p>\nTaking courses after you graduate can help boost your learning and understanding of how other people learn \u2013 an important skill if you are thinking of entering the HR field. <\/p>\n
Get as much practical experience as possible<\/strong>
\nBefore you start applying for any role in HR, it\u2019s important to have an awareness of what it actually is. HR is about seeing people as an asset, it\u2019s about looking after people, and making sure they are happy and productive.<\/p>\nMost modern employers look out for candidates with practical experience who can hit the ground running. Sometimes this can present a catch-22 situation, wherein candidates can\u2019t gain experience, because they don\u2019t have the experience to get the job to begin with. <\/p>\n
Don\u2019t leave yourself in this position. Volunteering and interning is now an important part of university, and will give you an edge over other candidates in the interview process, so make sure you have time to do extracurricular activities in-between your studies.<\/p>\n
Try to gain much experience as you can from your first role<\/strong>
\nWhile you may not stay at your first role after university forever, try to take as much as you can from it. My first role was in Learning and Development, training members of the public.<\/p>\nLater, I moved into areas where I was also developing staff members, then I managed the people who were developing others. I oversaw quality assurance and wrote different kinds of programmes and training content. I also helped one of the companies I worked with to move their paper-based learning programs onto an online system when online-based content delivery was in its infancy. <\/p>\n
By trying new things and exploring more diverse areas of the business, it gave me a fantastic base of experience to build my career.<\/b><\/p>\n
Getting a job in HR requires a wide range of different skills \u2013 many of which you can develop at university.
\nMy key takeaway is to try as many things as you can, including making time for internships and practical experience during your studies. This way, you\u2019ll be in a much stronger position when it comes to the interview stage as you\u2019ll be able to draw on real life experiences. <\/b><\/p>\n
by Gary Norris, Personal Facilitator for Online HRM at DPG<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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