Become a Human Resources Consultant

Human resource consultants work with organizations to perform hiring, interviewing and recruitment duties. They perform a variety of duties ranging from establishing recruiting practices to analyzing hiring procedures to producing systems that track employee performance. They often guide managers throughout the interview process, ensuring that the final candidate is an excellent fit for the position, and they assist in developing formal, unbiased evaluation systems to identify individual employees’ strengths and weaknesses. Companies may hire outside human resources consultants to establish guidelines in areas of work safety, fair treatment, pay, and benefits packages.[1] If you’re interested in becoming an HR consultant, here are some tips to help you on that journey.

Steps

Researching the Career

  1. Consider what you would like about a career in HR. People who work in human resources need to have strong analytical and interpersonal skills. They must also be able present proposed changes effectively to the human resources department and management teams. The following are all good questions to ask yourself when determining if a career in HR might be the right fit for you:
    • Are you the type of person who likes to organize and evaluate data?
    • Do you work well with people?
    • Do you usually have a good sense of character judgement when you first meet someone?
    • Do you try to put people at ease in tense situations?
    • Would you feel comfortable advising managers on organizational policy issues and recommending changes?
    • Could you develop, plan, and implement various HR initiatives like compensation, benefits, and performance management programs?
    • Would you like to analyze HR practices in a company to establish competitive programs and ensure legal compliance?[1]
  2. Find out the normal salary range. The national average salary for a human resources consultant is $67,413 per year, with a range of $42,243-$123,513. Experience and skills in project management have a moderate effect on income for this job. Your salary would also depend on the company you work for as well as the geographic location in which you reside and work.[1]
  3. Determine the schooling that’s needed. Educational requirements may vary depending on the company, your previous work experience, and the area in which you want to work. However, the minimum educational requirement will be the completion of a Bachelor’s degree. The type of Bachelor’s degree may vary, but typically a degree in human resources or business (administration or management) will best prepare you for a career as an HR consultant.

Going to School

  1. Apply to a few universities that have a good human resources or business program. There are schools all over the country that are in the top 25 schools for human resources careers, but a few are: Quinnipiac University (Hamden, CT), DePaul University (Chicago), Meredith College (Raleigh, NC), Illinois State University, Temple University (Philadelphia), Louisiana State, Colorado State, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, University of Alabama Birmingham, and California State.
    • These schools, as well as others, offer top programs in Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Business Administration degrees with concentration in Management or in Human Resources.[2]
  2. Choose the school you like best. Assuming that you were accepted into all the schools you applied for, there are many factors to consider when choosing where to go to school. The top factors to consider are:
    • Location - are you willing to move away from home or relocate? Be sure to consider expenses in getting back home if you do move, as well as other transportation costs, such as car or public transit expenses, that will vary depending on where the school is located in relation to where you live.
    • Cost - Cost is a huge factor to consider. Determine how much you can afford to pay for college, if you’re eligible for scholarships, and what types of financial aid is available. You may also want to consider your expected salary after graduation when determining the cost of the school, especially if you’ll be paying back loans after graduation.
    • Major and program – be sure the college you’re considering has the major you’re interested in taking, and consider if their program for that major is a competitive program for the field.
    • Career services – choose a college with a good career services program that will help you find a job that you love after graduation.
    • Safety, student life, and athletics – if you’re moving onto campus, you’ll want to be sure the campus is safe and that the student life (clubs and organizations) interests you. If you’re an athlete, take a look into the school’s athletic program for your sport and see if it would be a good fit for you.[3]
  3. Apply for scholarships. There are many different types of scholarships – the key is searching for them and seeing which ones you may be eligible for. You may need to write an essay, take a written exam, or complete a certain type of project. Spend time researching scholarships; a good central source to look for different scholarships available is SallieMae. Just be sure you follow the instructions carefully when applying and be mindful of deadlines.[4]
  4. Apply for loans if you need them. If you’re not able to pay outright the cost of your college tuition, and your scholarships haven’t covered the total cost, consider applying for loans. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is where many students go online to apply for student loans. There are also private student loans available through banks and other credit lenders.[5]
  5. Buy your books and other materials. You’ll want to make sure that your costs for books and other materials are covered in your budget, as well as your costs of living especially if you are not living on campus. Loans will usually allow you to take out more than the cost of tuition, expecting that you cannot work full time and go to school full time, so consider borrowing money for your books and living costs when accepting your loan amount for the year.
  6. Attend your classes and fulfill all degree requirements. Now that you’ve gotten into college, you just need to do the work and pass each class! Be sure to allow plenty of time for studying so you can do your absolute best in your classes. There are other strategies to getting good grades in college – such as choosing courses you think you’ll do well in, not overloading your schedule, using the right types of sources for papers, pacing yourself throughout the course, and utilizing professor office hours.[6]

Finding a position

  1. Do an internship. Most entry-level positions in HR require past experience, usually through internships. Toward the end of your schooling, look into internship opportunities. As an HR intern, you’ll have the opportunity to apply your academic coursework to real-world situations. Tasks for an HR intern range from preparing new hire paperwork, advertising open job positions, advising employees on safety issues, and more.
    • A good place to start for finding an internship is your school’s career services center, or the academic advisor for your major’s department. Also, your professors probably had to do internships themselves and could guide you in finding a good match for you.[7]
  2. Research job possibilities. Once you’ve graduated (hopefully with high honors!) research different HR positions. There are generally two career paths to take in HR work: generalist or specialist.
    • The HR generalist has a wide range of responsibilities such as attracting and retaining employees, training, managing the workforce, and planning ways to meet HR needs. Generalists are usually found in small companies or in management roles.
    • HR specialists typically require deep knowledge of a particular (larger) company’s HR program, such as employee and labor relations, benefits, conducting interviews, or administering pre-employment tests.[7]
  3. Make an impressive resume. Writing a great resume is an art unto itself. Be sure that your resume is no more than one page, focuses on your individual strengths, and includes your education and experience background. There are several ways to organize a resume, just be sure to divide sections of education, work experience, and strengths. Remember, a resume is a marketing tool. You are trying to sell yourself to employers who have never met you. Use accomplishment statements and action words rather than plain descriptions of your role in previous jobs.
    • Many job positions also ask for a cover letter. A cover letter is an extension of your resume, but you don’t want to just repeat the same information from your resume. Instead, write about what you learned from past positions why you’re interested in the position you’re applying for, being sure to focus on skills and strengths needed for that particular. Cover letters will usually need to change depending on the position you’re applying for.[8]
  4. Consider an HR consulting firm. When starting out, you may wish to start working for an HR consulting firm. It will often take some years of experience to be qualified for the high level consulting positions. Research types of consulting firms in your area to determine which type and which firm would be a good fit for you.
    • There are generally 3 types of consulting firms, and the type you work for depends on your interests and area of specialization: there are strategy consulting firms (focused in business strategy HR consulting), pure play HR consulting firms (who do work only in HR issues consulting), and big four / management consulting firms (HR consulting is one of many consulting offerings offered in these large consulting firms). [9]

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Consultant,_Human_Resources_(HR)/Salary
  2. ↑ http://www.humanresourcesmba.net/best/bachelors-in-human-resources-ranked-graduation-rates/
  3. ↑ http://www.delval.edu/blog/choosing-a-college#.Va7tPWxRHmQ
  4. ↑ https://www.salliemae.com/plan-for-college/scholarships/scholarship-applications/
  5. ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-101/how-to-complete-the-fafsa
  6. ↑ http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/08/19/15-secrets-of-getting-good-grades-in-college
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.internships.com/human-resources
  8. ↑ http://www.extension.harvard.edu/inside-extension/how-write-great-resume-cover-letter
  9. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140704140629-4413568-hr-consulting-career-and-advise
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