How to get a job in human resources

An HR department is responsible for many areas including recruiting, implementing policies, health and safety, salary reviews, redundancies, administering employee benefits, interpreting and advising on employment law, absence management, equal opportunities, workforce planning, training and career development, and much more.

Different roles within HR include HR Manager, HR Officer, HR Graduate Recruitment Consultant, Junior Recruiter, and Training and Development Office to name a few. All of these HR careers will involve to some degree getting the right people into the right roles within a business, motivating everyone to perform to the best of their abilities and providing a tailored career path through learning and development.

An ideal HR candidate will enjoy working with people and have an interest in the human side of running a business, focusing on the wellbeing, effectiveness and productivity of staff.

Applying for a job in HR

There can be a lot of competition for HR jobs because generally, they are well-paid and varied roles. To give yourself the best possible chance of securing your ideal position, you will need to take your search seriously, because quite often roles are filled internally.

Always research the company beforehand – whether you’re writing a cover letter, drafting your CV or preparing for interview questions, research is crucial to your job search.

Make sure your CV is written to perfection, it needs to show you are organised and must contain no errors. Your CV will need to demonstrate to potential employers how your relevant experience makes you ideal for the position and list any relevant qualifications and courses you may have taken.

Note all previous opportunities you have had where you have developed your organisational and interpersonal skills which will help make you the ideal applicant. Other key skills HR teams will be looking for are reliability, sensitivity, business knowledge, interpersonal skills, confidentiality, efficiency, trustworthiness and emotional intelligence.

Always go to an interview with a set of possible answers for any behavioural questions. Check out the potential employer’s website to figure out their Human Resources approach. You will need to interview well because you will potentially be conducting interviews for the same company if you are successful.

Interested in working in human resources? Check out our job search here. Or find comprehensive job seekers’ advice here.

Training and qualifications needed for a job in HR

There are several degree programmes and courses that you can take if you want to get into HR, such as human resource management, business psychology or business administration. Although, you do not usually need to be an HR graduate to secure a job in HR, as most employers consider graduates of any subject. In general, HR candidates need a bachelor’s degree of 2:1 or higher in areas like business management, finance, sociology and psychology.

During your degree, you should take on work experience if you get the opportunity; many companies offer HR internship programmes, which is great for those without previous experience. Internships are often low or unpaid, so these are ideal to undertake whilst you are studying and can often lead to permanent positions.

If you are looking for an entry-level position, gaining experience in similar positions like recruitment, customer service or admin, will gradually build the skills needed to progress to a role in HR. Gaining an industry recognised certification, like a CIPD qualification, which is the HR industry standard, is a great way to improve your employability, especially if you’re lacking in practical work experience.

Find out more in our blog What does a job in human resources entail?

How Cantello Tayler Recruitment can help

Cantello Tayler Recruitment offer over 140 years’ experience providing permanent, temporary and contract candidates with roles ranging from office management to HR professionals, across a wide range of industries and sectors.

Our dedicated, friendly and professional team are here to help you every step of the way – we take pride in offering an exceptional level of service and thoroughly enjoy working in partnership with our candidates to help launch careers in human resources.

We offer a bespoke service to our candidates, offering as much support and guidance as needed, including answering any questions you may have on CV building, cover letter writing, HR job application advice, offer management, and interview processes.

To submit your CV to Cantello Tayler Recruitment, please fill out the form here and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.