Angela Said:

Question for anyone who works in Human Resources...?

We Answered:

T here are so many variables that the answer is specific to a specific situation. Thinks like type of felony (there is a difference between murder and grand theft), how long ago it happened, has it been expunged, etc.

Regarding background checks, while laws differ depending on what country/province/state you are in, the consistent law is that if a company does background checks on employees in a certain class or job, they must do checks on all employees in those jobs or classes. In other words, if you are working for McDonald's Corp as a cook, and your friend works as their controller in the corporate office, you may not be required to submit to a background check, but because your friend has a level of financial responsibility, the company may have a policy that requires a background check. And as far as singling out a particular sex, race, creed, color, religious belief or anything else for a background check that is protected by EEOC (www.eeoc.gov) regulations, that would be totally illegal.

Tara Said:

How do I start in Human Resources without experience and a degree in sociology?

We Answered:

Unfortunately HR jobs do require experience now days. There are however several ways to get experience in HR. If you are still in school you can try to get some type of work study. Since you are at the bank you can ask your HR Department if you could volunteer in the HR Department one day a week so that you can get some experience. Last, if a company is desperate enough they will train you.

Good luck

Vincent Said:

Advice from someone with experience working in human resources, please!?

We Answered:

I encounter the same thing. What I do is cut & paste my coverletter into the body of email & tweek it (name of contact person, company, title of position, etc). Then I send resume as Word attachment. There really is no "correct" procedure. If you have a background in graphic art, then maybe including graphics would be OK. If not, remove them. It takes awhile to download/open attachment & as a former recruiter, I found that those who included "cute" graphics/fonts rather annoying. Hope some of this helped. Good luck!

Rhonda Said:

Can I work in Human Resources with a BA in Psychology?

We Answered:

Many, many HR professionals have degrees in psychology, business, and various other areas. Most good entry level HR jobs will want a 4 year degree, but smart employers will not focus on only one area of education as a requirement. My degree is in business (with a minor in psych) and I went from insurance (wrongful termination claims while I was working on my degree) into HR. I was lucky to know employment law pretty well by then, but it didn't really factor into the employer's decision to hire me. I-O psychology will be seen as a huge positive by any employer and you should have no difficulty finding something in entry level HR at a decent salary. In my case I had intended to go on to law school and get tuitional reimbursement from my employer, but I ended up not doing so. I spent 10 years in HR and went on (through a series of weird events) to become a Plant/General Manager with a fortune 500 company. Sometimes I still dream of going back to get my law degree, but the reality is that I couldn't afford the pay cut to become an attorney. My best advice is to look for the HR job that you want, but keep your ambition about going to school to get your graduate degree. Also, you might consider getting a PHR or SPHR certificate through SHRM - it will greatly increase your earning power while you get your graduate degree. Good, good luck!

Jimmy Said:

Anybody work in Human Resources?

We Answered:

I assume that a certificate in HR is at the community or junior college? If so, then your work will be primarily clerical starting out. You will be entering data in the computer, maintaining personnel files, etc. Accuracy and attention to detail are very important and you will also need to have customer service skills. If that sounds good to you, then this is a good job. You can build from that and get more into the database management, creating reports, looking at statistics if that interests you or become an HR generalist in employee relations.

Andre Said:

For those who work in Human Resources - Should I list temp experience on my Resume?

We Answered:

Yes, but put a note that they were just temp positions

Edna Said:

Ive been asked by my police station to call human resources for work experience, what sort fo things will they?

We Answered:

They will ask about your past work experience, and maybe some references. Just have dates, addresses, telephone numbers, and names of references handy.