May 28, 2009 
This is the third article in the series exploring careers that you can take with you throughout military life. (And stay tuned…next we will explore a career in web design).
I am passionate about Human Resources (HR) because it’s where I started out my own career. When my husband was stationed in San Diego I interned in an HR office of a large company which led to paid position in an HR department conducting employee training; a job where I learned a lot of transferable skills. What I like about HR is that there is a lot of variety within the field which helps when dealing with frequent moves. I worked with a spouse, Christine, who was initially an HR assistant for the City of San Diego, then took a second position in an HR consulting firm in Colorado. Then she had to move to the east coast, but with a little tweaking of her skills she landed a job in the compensation department of a large non-profit hospital that specialized in cancer treatment which she found very rewarding. Through this job she was able to receive her certificate in HR and eventually a PHR certification.
Wanting to learn more about the field, I interviewed military spouse, Suzette, a colleague and HR Director for another non-profit organization. She shared that the HR field has allowed her to balance her strong work ethic with motherhood; an issue that initially concerned her. Suzette’s experience explains much about what types of jobs are available in HR, how portable the field is, and what someone could expect if they were just entering this field.
Tips on Getting Started As An HR Employee
• Climbing the Corporate Ladder
After starting as an administrative person, Suzette, like many people entering the field, moved into a specialty area—a benefits specialist position. While in that position, she received her master’s degree in HR, so when they moved again, she applied for an eventually got an HR Management position. Its takes time, but there is opportunity for advancement.
• Career Portability
Suzette agreed that with many corporate jobs, frequent moving around could typically hurt your career, but she has always tried to make the best of the situation and tries to use each move and new job hunt as an opportunity to look for a position that is at least one step up from her last.
• Just Be Yourself
In order for her marriage to be a happy one, Suzette focuses on her own career desires as equally as her husband’s military career. Different elements of the military lifestyle appeal to different people. While Suzette didn’t relate to all aspects of being a military wife, she was able to take the positives and run with them. She makes an effort to connect with the broader corporate community in addition to networking with other military spouses and feels lucky to have eventually obtaining full-time employment at each of her duty stations.
• Where To Begin?
For those interested in starting a career in HR, Suzette suggests looking into the local SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) chapter and attending a meeting. Also, sign up on their mailing lists at the local and national level. By becoming a member of SHRM, you open the doors to networking opportunities, access to job boards, and current trends in the industry.
HR-Related Professional Organizations
http://www.shrm.org—Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) –Most popular HR professional organization offering comprehensive HR information, job postings, and HR field advancement.
http://www.ahrd.org—Academy of Human Resources Development. Academically based HR information.
http://www.astd.org—American Society for Training and Development (Corporate training side of HR).
www.odnetwork.org/—Organization Development Network—a professional association of organizational development practitioners.
www.worldatwork.org/—World at Work—Most popular professional association for Compensation and Benefits Professionals.
Researching HR
www.workforce.com—HR articles, tools and general workplace trends in the field of HR.
www.hrconsultant.com—HR articles and information related to HR consulting.
www.hrzone.com—Useful HR career information and related HR links.
www.Hradvice.com—a virtual HR organization for organizations to consult with their HR needs.
Krista Wells, Ph.D. Please visit The Military Spouse Coach ®. She provides support, strategies, and solutions for girlfriends/spouses of the military. www.militaryspousecoach.com. Krista would love feedback on other careers you would like to see highlighted.