We know, you are thinking about honing your skills in Human Resources (HR), but you don’t know which career path you should follow. Don’t worry! We have all been there. That’s why we have written 10 career opportunities from Human Resources (HR) to help you expand your career horizons. Ready to start?
But first, you might be wondering if a career in HR offers enough job opportunities. The short answer is… Yes! You have picked the right path! Employment for HR specialists is growing faster than average for most occupations and is expected to increase by 7% by 2026. At the same time, the number of Human Resources Managers will increase by 9% over the same time period.
Last but not least, a career in HR has many benefits. You will be in touch with people, helping them to thrive during their professional life. Moreover, from small companies to multinational organizations, you will have thousands of opportunities to launch your career.
As you will see, there are so many career options to choose from the Human Resources (HR) field. You just have to find the path that is more in line with your natural talent and interests. To help you with that, we have included tips and trends to kick-start your career in HR (you’re welcome 😉).
10 career opportunities from Human Resources (HR)
HR Generalist
As the title suggests, HR generalists have a broader comprehension of Human Resources, ranging from recruitment to training. It is a rewarding career path for individuals who deeply enjoy passing from one task to another. Moreover, it is a good option for people who want to work in small or medium-sized companies. These companies are more likely to hire someone with a broad knowledge and capacity to handle different situations. According to Glassdoor, the average salary in Spain is of 30.221 € per year.
Payroll Manager
If you are interested in specializing yourself in a topic, there are different categories to choose from. A payroll specialist is just one option available, or as people say “there are plenty of fish in the sea”. As a payroll specialist, you will take care of and oversee all aspects of timesheet and payroll processing. If you manage to climb the career ladder, you could become a Payroll Manager. In this position, you will enjoy a higher than average salary, as salaries range from 1,740 € per month EUR to 5,550 EUR € per month.
HR Administrator
Among the different career opportunities from Human Resources (HR) it is definitely a good starting point for your career. Usually, the role of an HR Administrators is an entry-level position, reporting to an HR analyst. However, don’t think it will be an easy job, as you will be the first point of contact for employees and external partners for all HR-related queries. Additionally, you will handle employment contracts, recruiting, and set up interviews for open positions in the company. As you might imagine, the salary cannot be compared with other career opportunities present in this list, but do not be discouraged. You will gain approximately €22,616 per year.
Training and Development Manager
You love to assist employees in finding and nurturing their talent. Don’t you? Well, in this case, you might want to specialize in training and development. You will be in charge of preparing material for employees’ training and you will conduct them. Furthermore, you will find creative ways to assist employees during their development process. Why is that so crucial? Because if you give employees opportunities for career growth, they will become loyal to the company. Another good reason (but not the most important one) for choosing this career path is the salary. A Training & Development Manager gains around €50,000 per year. Not bad, right?
Recruiter
We all would like to have a recruiter as one of our best friends, to tell us how we should write cover letters or how many pages are right for a CV. Are they 2 or 1? And better with or without the photo? Apart from free beers from your friends, if you opt to become a recruiter, you will be able to choose from thousands of companies. Every business needs someone specialized in finding the best candidates for their vacancies. We are not yet in the tips section, but here it goes a spoiler for you: enhance your digital skills! The future of HR is going digital. Regarding the salary, usually recruiters working in Spain gain around €21,786 per year.
Executive Recruiter and Coach
You have seen how much money recruiters make and you are already thinking about changing specialization. Why don’t you focus on recruiting and coaching executives? The average salary is of €2,980 per month, but if you play your cards well, it could go up to €4,670 per month. Money factor aside, you will be in charge of a very stimulating task: finding the best candidates for filling executive positions within companies in different industries. Furthermore, you might also be in charge of coaching executives, assisting them in working on their soft spots.
Nonprofit Human Resources Expert
You have read so far and just kept thinking “what if I don’t want to work for a business?” Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. You might not know it, but there are HR professionals specialized in managing the Human Resources department for Nonprofits. You will handle all the tasks of an HR generalist, ranging from training to recruitment. Plus, you will apply your skills to work for an organization entirely dedicated to having an impact on society. We couldn’t find reliable data on the average salary for a Nonprofit Human Resources Expert here in Spain, but in the USA is around $33,438 per year. Time to book your next flight!
Employee Relations Manager
We wish the workplace was a happy place all the time, but from time to time conflicts might arise. If not managed in time, they could escalate and become real problems for the company and the well-being of employees. It’s in this scenario that you will come into action. You will use your skills to resolve conflicts in the best way. You might want to anticipate problems by conducting surveys to understand employment issues. Based on the feedback, you should make recommendations to the company. As an Employee Relations Manager, you might earn around €3,080 per month.
Change Manager
If you are in love with technology and you want to guide people through changes, this might be the perfect career path for you. You will be in charge of accompanying all members of a company through substantial changes. Think of yourself as a sort of “Yoda of Human Resources”. When choosing this career path, remind that under the “Change Manager” umbrella, there are several other names. Despite the title change, they work for the same goal: helping people moving towards an agile and modern workplace. In 2018, the average salary in Spain for this in-demanded profession was of €47,932 per year.
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
As you will see in a bit, nowadays companies pay more attention to diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Hurray!). As a result, there is a growing need for people specialized in ensuring organizations are as much diverse and inclusive as they would like to be. It’s in these new needs that people like you can thrive. From hiring to internal policies and training, you will be in charge of everything that could help businesses be more in line with our modern times. Another benefit of this career path is that you will have a clear positive impact on society. Additionally, your salary will definitely be more generous than for Nonprofit Human Resources Experts. You will gain around 66.094 € per year, ranging from 45.372 € per year for an entry-level salary to a peak of 82.354 € per year for senior roles.
Tips for starting a career in HR:
There are no special secrets to start a career in HR, just a few tips. They are important for everyone, especially for future HR professionals. They might seem obvious but trust us, they are often underestimated.
– Develop your Soft Skills
As an HR professional, you will work with people all the time. Therefore you have to develop strong interpersonal skills. If you have to focus on one area, start with Emotional Intelligence (EI). The key to developing EI is to be aware of your emotions. Once you will master that, start to give more attention to the people around you. What do they need? What are they telling you through non-verbal communication? You can find many more suggestions on how to increase emotional intelligence on your team in this article published on Forbes.
– Get an Education
Yes, it might be obvious, but getting an education is the easiest way to start a career in this field. At BEBS, we have exactly what you need. We are offering a Master in Human Resources Management to teach you all the details of human resources management. You will have the opportunity to try first-hand which career path is the most rewarding for you.
4 HR Trends for 2021:
We couldn’t end 10 career opportunities from Human Resources (HR) without helping you identifying future trends in the field. You will have to stay abreast with the latest development in HR to start and have a successful career in HR. It will help you with your decision, as you will understand what future employers might require from you.
– Technology is Here to Stay
In the not-so-distant future, technology will be your new best friend, like it or not. There are thousands of online tools that can assist you with administrative functions like payroll or managing leave days of employees. Furthermore, we live in the data-driven decision era. Therefore, you might want to prepare yourself and start seeing data and analytics as your best ally. In our Master in HR Management, you will learn about that in our module called “HR Analytics, Technology & Innovation”. In case you are wondering, no, we didn’t invent this trend to promote the master. You are really going to need it.
– Towards a Healthy Workplace
Forget about bosses who yell at employees to assert their power, this is so 1990s. As a future HR professional, you should foster a positive working culture. New generations want to work in organizations where respect, diversity, and flexibility are the norm. And if it’s not like that, they will change company. As shown by a study conducted by global staffing firm Robert Half, younger employees are less likely to keep up with a bad leader.
-Regulating Working From Home
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of people working from home has skyrocketed. In Europe, working from the sofa or the kitchen is the new reality for 40% of employees. This drastic change has happened overnight and with that also the rules of the office. HR professionals will be required to help companies and employees to adjust to these extraordinary times.
– Money is not the Only Benefit
“Money can’t buy happiness.” New generations have internalized this concept so well that a salary increase is not the only thing employees value. To make new generations happy, HR will have to think of different benefits, focusing more on the concept of happiness and quality of life. In practical terms, it will mean give to employees more free time and greater flexibility to choose from where or when they can start their working day.
A Stellar Career in HR
You have read all the different career opportunities from Human Resources (HR), but we know you are thinking “I don’t know if I prefer to train and develop people or if I want to work in employee relations”. We hear you! You might have more than one interest and maybe you don’t know which one is the best to pursue. In this case, the best option for you is our Master in HR Management. With our practical and multidisciplinary approach, you will discover which area you might want to pursue in your stellar career.
Get in touch with us via e-mail at [email protected] and take the first step to pursue one of the most demanded professions of the future. We are waiting for you!
