Dear Industry Seniors,
I recently graduated from an university in America and am committed to a career in HR. However, I do not have authorization to work here and did not have a major in Human Resources (I did graduate from a prestigious university, however). I have done a few HR internships, with a strong focus in recruiting, yet I learned that it is a lot easier to get H1B sponsorship with a generalist role. I am wondering what are some ways for me to improve my HR knowledge that will prepare me well for a position that may give me sponsorship in a year, excluding going to graduate school at this moment. I do have OPT so I can work in the US for a year.
Thanks a lot everyone for your help!
Amanda
From United States, Chicago
I recently graduated from an university in America and am committed to a career in HR. However, I do not have authorization to work here and did not have a major in Human Resources (I did graduate from a prestigious university, however). I have done a few HR internships, with a strong focus in recruiting, yet I learned that it is a lot easier to get H1B sponsorship with a generalist role. I am wondering what are some ways for me to improve my HR knowledge that will prepare me well for a position that may give me sponsorship in a year, excluding going to graduate school at this moment. I do have OPT so I can work in the US for a year.
Thanks a lot everyone for your help!
Amanda
From United States, Chicago
Dear Amanda,
'Improving knowledge' is a subjective term. If for example, you were to start by simply identifying about five domains of HR functions / SOP's, you may follow the same, by finding out how various [segment-wise or industry wise] organizations work. The same info can be found on the internet, HR Practice magazines and literatures present in good libraries like BCL [Delhi]. Subsequently, you should find a mentor who typically is a HR senior manager or above. When you have questions, discussion based topics to brainstorm over, talk to them. Bargain an opportunity to just go once or twice in a week, and see how they work [essentially you'll get to see, when there is a protocol or strategic requirement, how they organize the same]. This is one of the methodologies, that are used by most of the guys. See if this works and my advice is, give the process some time [patience]. Only then will you be able to identify more specific areas that you wish to understand more deeply.
Hope this helps and best of luck.
Regards
From India, Gurgaon
1'Improving knowledge' is a subjective term. If for example, you were to start by simply identifying about five domains of HR functions / SOP's, you may follow the same, by finding out how various [segment-wise or industry wise] organizations work. The same info can be found on the internet, HR Practice magazines and literatures present in good libraries like BCL [Delhi]. Subsequently, you should find a mentor who typically is a HR senior manager or above. When you have questions, discussion based topics to brainstorm over, talk to them. Bargain an opportunity to just go once or twice in a week, and see how they work [essentially you'll get to see, when there is a protocol or strategic requirement, how they organize the same]. This is one of the methodologies, that are used by most of the guys. See if this works and my advice is, give the process some time [patience]. Only then will you be able to identify more specific areas that you wish to understand more deeply.
Hope this helps and best of luck.
Regards
From India, Gurgaon
Thank you so much for the response. It is really helpful. I guess what I meant was that what type of certifications are out there that will help my credentials look better. I have been trying to learn more HR knowledge in my own time; however, there really isn't a way to prove that I have learned the information unless I take a test. I know I am still way too junior to get my PHR. Therefore, I was wondering what certificates are useful out there that are also offered for someone who doesn't have that much experience yet.
P.S. I have had most of my HR experiences in recruiting and would like to balance out because I would like to ultimately pursue a generalist role. What then would be some certificates that I could obtain that will prove a more balanced background of mine?
Thanks a lot for your help and sorry about the confusion of questions!
Amanda
From United States, Chicago
P.S. I have had most of my HR experiences in recruiting and would like to balance out because I would like to ultimately pursue a generalist role. What then would be some certificates that I could obtain that will prove a more balanced background of mine?
Thanks a lot for your help and sorry about the confusion of questions!
Amanda
From United States, Chicago
Dear Amanda,
Thank you for appreciating the response. You have correctly pointed out your status quo for securing a position of the HR portfolio. That's a start. Also now you have engaged into one more specific question which is the next step too [Good Going]. The question that you put forth, about certifications is an important one.
There are two types of certifications that you can typically approach. First is a proper PG diploma, that essentially is from a A or B level B School [eg PGMP/ PGMPX etc... these are subjected to various colleges that are present across India: typically IIM, GLC, XLRI etc]. Now the only catch is, you should typically go for these courses within 4-5 years of serving in ONE organization rather than hopping from one to more in less than three years. Ideally for example, lets say you have worked for ABC organization for 2 yrs then moved on to another and worked there for 2 yrs... This reduces your chances of getting selected for some of the high rise/ranking colleges. Typically if you show 4-5 years of a progressive job profile, in one organization... that gives you a firm ground for escalating your chances in bagging such programmes.
The second type of certification is T&D based, which is a short term or a a few days programme. These are very specifically designed for particular functional requirements: Such as for Hiring purposes you have Assessment related courses that boasts of new theoretical and application of new techniques of 'screening the right kind' of candidates [One such Programme that I found very reliable is training on PRISM 7 16PF]. Then you have management oriented programmes like Six Sigma, Train the Trainer etc etc.
Typically if you first start with the latter type, it will give you an opportunity to explore some new advents of current trends in T&D. Then if you try and engage into the vocational degree, also showing your achievements of attended programmes like cited above, that gives you a added benefit of attracting more prospective organizations for recruitment. So the whole cycle is again... based on how you wish to take this... Based on your own interests of attaining functional expertise over time.
So there you have another chance of deciding between these two road maps amongst many. I would also suggest that by now if you have made a mentor for yourself, take up the same point with him/her, gain some perspective and try to weigh your interests and options, as you find them suitable.
Hope this too gives you some heads up. Keep up the insight to a progressive career! :-)
Regards
From India, Gurgaon
Thank you for appreciating the response. You have correctly pointed out your status quo for securing a position of the HR portfolio. That's a start. Also now you have engaged into one more specific question which is the next step too [Good Going]. The question that you put forth, about certifications is an important one.
There are two types of certifications that you can typically approach. First is a proper PG diploma, that essentially is from a A or B level B School [eg PGMP/ PGMPX etc... these are subjected to various colleges that are present across India: typically IIM, GLC, XLRI etc]. Now the only catch is, you should typically go for these courses within 4-5 years of serving in ONE organization rather than hopping from one to more in less than three years. Ideally for example, lets say you have worked for ABC organization for 2 yrs then moved on to another and worked there for 2 yrs... This reduces your chances of getting selected for some of the high rise/ranking colleges. Typically if you show 4-5 years of a progressive job profile, in one organization... that gives you a firm ground for escalating your chances in bagging such programmes.
The second type of certification is T&D based, which is a short term or a a few days programme. These are very specifically designed for particular functional requirements: Such as for Hiring purposes you have Assessment related courses that boasts of new theoretical and application of new techniques of 'screening the right kind' of candidates [One such Programme that I found very reliable is training on PRISM 7 16PF]. Then you have management oriented programmes like Six Sigma, Train the Trainer etc etc.
Typically if you first start with the latter type, it will give you an opportunity to explore some new advents of current trends in T&D. Then if you try and engage into the vocational degree, also showing your achievements of attended programmes like cited above, that gives you a added benefit of attracting more prospective organizations for recruitment. So the whole cycle is again... based on how you wish to take this... Based on your own interests of attaining functional expertise over time.
So there you have another chance of deciding between these two road maps amongst many. I would also suggest that by now if you have made a mentor for yourself, take up the same point with him/her, gain some perspective and try to weigh your interests and options, as you find them suitable.
Hope this too gives you some heads up. Keep up the insight to a progressive career! :-)
Regards
From India, Gurgaon
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