I’m an unemployed HR Generalist who wants to specialize in benefits. That being said, why would I give advice to another HR pro in a similar predicament? Dudes, I have no idea. Maybe if I give good advice to others the universe will reward me with good fortune for my own sad career state.
Hey, it’s a theory.
This question came to my partner in crime at HRM Today & super blogger of Punk Rock HR. Laurie thought I might want to take a crack at it as well. Here we go:
I work for HR and through RIF’s our department has been whittled down. I have jumped jobs within the department about every 3-4 months since I have been here, without a glorified title of anything. Responsibilities have been given to me and I have done a lot, from benefits to payroll to recruiting to employee issues, etc.How does one specialize in a field in HR when they are unable to in their job, and they can’t get hired elsewhere because of that? I’m well aware that unless I am able to focus on something I won’t be marketable anywhere. This is the field I want to work in and I know I need to select something to specialize in but I don’t know how to in my situation. I’m unable to even attain exempt status even though my responsibilities are of that nature; and I know I can’t take the PHR until I have 2 years of exempt status.Unfortunately my mentor was part of a RIF and she no longer has much interest in the field so she is no help. I’m currently in school for HR which I hope will help me but right now I feel like a fish out of water. I’m hoping this is normal. I would just like to specialize because I feel although I’ve done quite a bit I don’t know a single thing front to back due to the instability here.
Any suggestions?
On to the advice:
Figure out what you like and don’t like and why. Try to separate the work your doing from the job you have. For example, you may work for a struggling company that is in crisis mode. Does that mean you hate dealing with employee relations or that you hate employee relations at that particular company? If you do payroll, but use Excel instead of an HRIS, you are probably not going to like payroll at that company. Are you picking up what I’m putting down?
Network with HR pros that have specialized. Networking doesn’t just mean going to seminars, lunch & learns and conferences. Join us at HRM Today & start connecting with people (for free!) in the forum or by sending them messages through their profiles. Ask them if employee relations is really as horrible as it seems at every company or what it’s like to run payroll on ADP’s PayXpert. Ask them how they found their specialty. Read their blog. Subscribe to their Twitter. I can give you 3 names of people right off the top my head that specialize in compensation, probably 50 that specialize in recruiting, etc, etc. How? Networking, baby.
Talk to your manager about your career goals. Just because your company may be going through hard times and/or your manager may not be someone you think will help you doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to use your resources. Just as having a RIF is a business decision, an individual employee choosing to stay at a company is a business decision. The company may have needs, but so do you and this is a two way street. Let your manager know your goals and ask for his or her support in reaching those goals. The worst your manager can say is “no”.
Don’t take “no” for an answer. If your manager chooses not to support your goals, start looking for another job. Don’t worry so much about finding a specialist job - another generalist gig will do. What you need is a manager that will support your goals in learning about the two or three areas of HR that you want to get serious about.
Readers, what do you think?
One Comment on “How Do You Specialize in HR?”
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Posted on 5. September 2008 at 11:06
It does sound like you are early in your career. You mentioned you were in school so I would recommend focusing on that first and gaining the varied experience you are working in now. This way when you graduated you can apply to an entry level specialized job and probably get it. I also wouldn’t get overly stuck on working in one specific area unless that’s your true love because companies operate so differently that you could be working in that specialty but hate it due to commute, culture, expectations, etc. You may not understand everything you also are unconsciously expecting to receive from specializing. So, continue with the education and build a good reputation.