Preparing for an HR Career After MSW: What Skills Should I Focus on in the Next Six Months?

I am pursuing an MSW in Gujarat, and I heard from my senior that it is quite difficult to get a job in HR. I have only six months to go before I become a postgraduate in MSW. After that, I will need to search for a job. My query is, what kind of knowledge and qualities should I develop during this time?

You have been misinformed. HR is required everywhere, be it manufacturing, banking, insurance, retail, telecommunications, travel, IT, ITES, automobile, hospitals, hospitality, consultancy, and numerous other sectors. There is no dearth of demand for a person with the right knowledge, skills, and talent.

Qualities You Need to Develop

The qualities you need to develop are:
- Honesty of purpose
- Sincerity in the job
- Commitment
- Ability to listen
- Ability to share
- Proactive but not reactive
- Unbiased and fair thinking
- Punctuality - meeting deadlines

Skills You Require

The skills you require are:
- Ability to analyze issues
- Ability to present issues properly
- Ability to communicate clearly, not confusingly
- Ability to maintain harmonious interpersonal relations

Knowledge You Require

Knowledge you require, which you can immediately relate to your job at the entry-level, includes:
- Knowledge of basic labor laws
- Knowledge of basic statutory compliances like P.F., ESIC, labor welfare fund
- Knowledge of the Standing Orders Act
- Knowledge of basic joining formalities
- Knowledge of basic office management like attendance and punctuality

All the best.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labor Law Advisor
Mumbai

Our senior, Sai Kumar, has rightly said that with all the basic knowledge of labor laws and office management, an HR Manager must be a good human being, responsive, and able to handle stress very well. In today's world, HR Managers have to deal with Industrial Relations (IR), so you must understand the psychology of others. You should be able to grasp the hidden agendas of others, and you will understand all these things as you grow, so don't worry. It's a very nice profession in which you not only serve your family but also help others.

Regards,
Manish Bali

I echo the remarks and suggestions provided to you by Mr. Saikumar and Mr. Manish. I would like to add a few more to the list:

1. Common sense and logic
2. Street smartness
3. Ability to read between the lines
4. Good command over the English language since the position demands a lot of writing, especially the legal jargon.

My very best wishes to you in your career path.

Regards,
R. S. Patwardhan

I agree with the member above, and you must not worry about what your seniors are saying. Listen to them, but give your attention to your own goals. We don't know why your seniors are saying this, but you are an educated person pursuing your master's, not a bachelor's. Therefore, you should take things positively and with a better understanding. Focus on your studies and stand by your decisions and motives instead of getting distracted by these kinds of things.

Second, I would like to know what motivated you to pursue an MSW when enrolling, and what are your motives, targets, or career objectives? What are the differences between MSW-HR and Core HR in your understanding?

Third, as stated by Mr. Saikumar above, HR is indeed an important part of an organization. However, MSW is a bit different, and you must be aware of this fact as you are a master's student halfway through your studies. MSW HR has different areas than Core HR at the industry level and mostly deals with human approaches.

Let me share something with you and others. I remember a question asked by a mate in my college (MBA-HRM) during our discussion on Human Resource Management and Human Relations. She asked, “What are the major differences between Human Services - Human Services Administration/Relations and Human Resource Management (Core HR)?” That was a really good question and gave me a better understanding. I believe this can also help you a lot if you try to answer this question on your own through study, understanding, and research.

Could you share your topic or subject of study under MSW?

MSWs are trained to help people cope with and overcome social problems. Social workers generally enter this field not for the money, but because they have a desire to help people—another fact you must be aware of. They often provide counseling and work as administrators, researchers, policymakers, and planners. Could you please share your present learning and understanding of MSW studies and what you have gained so far? This can also help others, including me, and everyone attached to this in many ways.

For more, you can go through the following discussions:

- https://www.citehr.com/406014-msw-hr-connection.html
- https://www.citehr.com/88846-what-va...hr-person.html

Also, I would like to share something that I believe can help you more regarding your career or future: Career after MSW.

Regards

I have read the comments above and generally agree with them. Many young people experience a phase of anxiety regarding career development. The course content of MSW is a little different from the course content of MBA-HR. However, people from the MSW stream do get HR jobs in various industries.

Clarifying Career Goals

First of all, you need to clarify in your mind whether you would like to build a career in counseling, extension services, welfare, etc., or hardcore HR. If you wish to build a career in HR, please clarify the following in your mind:

• Would you like to find a job within your hometown, within Gujarat State, or are you mobile outside the State?

• Which industry would you prefer – Manufacturing, Exports, IT, ITES (BPOs, KPOs, etc.), Education, or any other?

• Please make efforts to understand the practical side of Labour Laws like PF, ESI, etc. It will be good if you can visit a nearby company and understand how PF and ESI acts are implemented and how periodical returns are sent.

• How grievance handling is done at the workplace and proactive steps are taken to maintain harmonious employee relations.

• How Personnel Files are maintained.

• How recruitment and induction of employees are done.

You still have 6 months' time. You can do some research on which companies are present in Gujarat State and what kind of HR practices these companies have. You can also work on cultivating written business communication skills, soft skills, and interview skills.

You can join the group “Career Planning for Students” on LinkedIn, where discussions on such queries of young people are being set up.

Best Wishes,

Indu Wadhwa

Mr. Mahesh, Mr. Anil and Indu have provided valuable insights on MSW and how to leverage your qualification for core HR functions. This is a key step in one's career.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai