When it comes to finding jobs, HR professionals often have insider hiring knowledge that gives them an advantage over other applicants. Whether you are just starting out in your human resources career or you've been in the industry for decades, you can use your specialized HR knowledge to successfully navigate the process of finding work.
Hiring is one of the most important responsibilities of an employee in a human resources position. Most HR professionals go through multiple rounds of hiring in their human resources career, often in the first year. When it's time to look for a new job, that experience can be an invaluable asset.
During the hiring process, HR professionals focus heavily on the job description, ensuring that it is as detailed and accurate as possible. In fact, a recent article from Mashable advises human resources workers to include everything from daily responsibilities to potential challenges. As you're looking for a job that helps you progress in your human resources career, you can use job descriptions to your advantage. Because you know how much work goes into writing a description, make every effort to show potential employers that you can handle the position responsibilities. Use keywords from the description in your resume and cover letter, paying special attention to the criteria that are listed as "required."
As you update your resume, look back on your own HR experience and consider the intangible things that are helpful in a human resources career. Tenacity, patience, and humility, for example, are crucial when dealing with irate or frustrated employees, but they rarely appear in job descriptions. Instead, HR professionals may use interviews to uncover those personality traits. To make your application stand out, use your resume to demonstrate your crisis management abilities, organization, and patience. You might include a bullet point that quantifies the drop in employee complaints during your tenure, for example, or explain how you implemented a system that made it easy for employees to express concerns before they became serious problems.
When it comes to finding work in the human resources field, the interview is a crucial step. Because they have a high level of personal interactions, HR professionals must be personable, communicate well, and remain calm in stressful situations. At some point in your human resources career, you've probably watched an otherwise excellent candidate fall apart in an interview. Keep that in mind as you head into your own interviews. Rehearse answers ahead of time, remind yourself to take time to think calmly before answering, and make an effort to connect with the interviewers. Employers know that interviews are stressful; by handling them gracefully, you can demonstrate how you will react to employee crises and other tough HR situations.
Though job hunting can be demanding and frustrating, HR professionals are equipped with the tools for success. As you seek out the next challenge in your human resources career, use your insider knowledge of the hiring process to stand out from the crowd.
(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
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