5 Tips for Climbing the HR Career Ladder

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Five Tips for Climbing up the Corporate Ladder

  • Use Social Media
  • Write and Publish
  • Keep Learning
  • Become a Specialist
  • Take On Extra Work

Launching a career in human resources isn’t always as easy as some might think. It typically requires an undergrad degree in business, and some employers will only hire those who also have a graduate degree in human resources or a similar field. Those starting their careers and those who have more experience can use the same tips to climb the HR ladder.

Related Resource: Entry Level Human Resources Jobs

1. Use Social Media

Using social media is one of the easiest ways HR professionals can climb the corporate ladder. Social media no longer just includes sites like Instagram or Facebook that let users connect with friends. Many professionals now use LinkedIn as well. LinkedIn lets them post their resumes and write about their experiences. They can then connect with people they worked with in the past and join groups. This helps them hear about job postings from insiders and form connections that might lead to jobs.

2. Write and Publish

The human resources industry includes a number of different professional journals. Those journals accept submissions from professionals working in the field. HR managers and directors can write articles about staffing or recruitment methods that work best for their departments. It’s also possible for those working in the field to guest post on different blogs. HR blogs will post a short blog or a longer article written by a reader and include his or her name and contact information on the bottom of the article.


3. Keep Learning

According to USA Today College, one of the best ways to advance a career in human resources is with more learning. This doesn’t necessarily mean going back to college, though those who have just a bachelor’s degree will find that earning a master’s degree is helpful. Learning means looking for ways and opportunities to learn new things every day. This might include working with people from different backgrounds, reading books written by industry leaders and seeking out blogs and websites that cover trends in the HR field.

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4. Become a Specialist

Becoming a specialist is one of the best ways to climb the corporate ladder. Those who specialize in one area become an expert in the company. A good example is someone who decides to focus on employee recruitment. These professionals know how to write job postings that appeal to the best people out there and how to interview those potential workers to make them want to work there. Specialists become so invaluable that companies cannot imagine those employees not working there, and it makes the company more likely to promote that worker.

5. Take On Extra Work

HR employees will also find it helpful to take on extra work whenever possible. There are far too many employees willing to only do the bare minimum. Once they finish their assigned tasks, they do not ask for any more work. Those willing to go beyond what employers expect of them are more likely to gain promotions in the future. Those promotions help them work their way up the ladder within one specific company, but they can also use their new job titles to keep moving up the ladder in the field as they work for other companies.

Entry-level jobs are usually open to those who have a college degree and little to no experience. Once the worker gains more experience and begins proving himself or herself, the individual can begin climbing the HR ladder. Climbing that ladder is the key to making more money in a career in human resources.