What Career Options are Available for Human Resource Management Majors?
Delaware is one of our smallest states, yet it leaves a big footprint on the national economy. Its chief industry is finance and insurance, which brings in a whopping $22 billion to the small state. This may be attributed to the state's low rates of taxation that attract many banks, large personal accounts, and more. Delaware's financial sector ranks 22nd in the nation.
The state's economy follows the pattern of many others, with its top five industries including real estate (#2) which draws over $10 billion and is 41st nationwide, professional and business services that creates $9 billion in revenue and ranks 38th nationwide, social services including healthcare brings in $6 billion, and manufacturing comes in at #5 with $5 billion in revenue and the 43rd spot nationwide. Much of Delaware's manufacturing comes from the DuPont Co. and its agribusiness sector. Delaware leads the nation for broiler chickens and is also an important player in potatoes, soybeans, corn, and dairy.
All of this vibrant economic activity is created by employees who need compensation packages that include benefits and more. These workers also enjoy protections under the law. For those reasons, Delaware needs a strong cadre of human resources professionals who can help firms manage their workers effectively and lawfully.
A human resources manager is a business professional whose job is to oversee an HR department in their firm. They should be well versed in all aspects of human resources, including recruiting, labor law compliance, compensation, and benefits, among other areas. In fact, some industries have specialized tasks and training that human resources professionals must be aware of.
Human resources managers thus typically work in an office building at a desk. Their primary duties likely require a computer terminal, but HR is also a field that still requires much face-to-face interaction with the rest of the staff. Thus, while many HR functions may be completed from a remote location, most HR managers will need to be in the office on most days of the week. In fact, it often falls to the HR department to set these remote-work policies and to then enforce them.
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Online Human Resources Manager Education in Delaware
Many of Delaware's colleges and universities include robust human resources college degree programs in their business colleges. Students in these programs are instructed in the best ways to negotiate benefits packages, how to recruit the best employees, and even how to conduct trainings on matters including insider trading, sexual harassment, and proper workplace etiquette.
Human resources degree programs seek to recruit and maintain balanced faculties that can deliver the best, most well-rounded, education to their students. To achieve this, they seek out academics who have the specialties students need the most. They look for PhDs whose research is at the forefront of the field and will be of great value to students over the long haul. They also seek out HR professionals from the state who are qualified to teach at the college level. When instructors have experience in the Delaware economy, students can get a more well-rounded view of the profession and how it's conducted in their state. A working HR professional will have intimate, practical knowledge of the state's laws governing the workplace. Students are thus inspired to hear anecdotes from the field regarding best practices in light of those labor laws.
Online Associates (AS)
When a student completes an associate human resource management degree, they are setting themselves up for success. Though a two-year human resources management degree is limited to introductory courses, students can take their knowledge into an entry-level position and thrive. Further, an associate degree from a Delaware community college is a great idea for several other reasons.
One of the chief advantages to a Delaware community college is the fact that they typically charge far less per credit hour than their four-year counterparts. This dramatically reduces the overall cost of a four-year education. While some may fear that a community college offers a lower quality of education, those fears are unfounded. Community college instructors are often dedicated educators who hold degrees from the same top institutions as their university peers. Furthermore, community colleges typically have lower student-to-faculty ratios, which means students may have greater access to their instructors. Furthermore, many community colleges are now offering online options for students who are unable to commute to their campus.
Online Bachelors (BS)
Most hiring managers are interested in hiring human resources specialists who hold a bachelor’s in human resource management degree. A four-year human resources management degree enables students to dive deeper into their study of human resources. Students in four-year business degree programs are also more likely to have a firmer idea of what they want to do since they've had time to dive deeper into each part of the human resources spectrum.
A bachelor’s human resource management degree also provides students with the opportunity to gain real-world experience. Students in these programs can find real-world opportunities in part-time jobs where the firm hopes to find an undergraduate for later full-time employment or to participate in internships.
Human resources management degree students are urged to seek an internship that provides them with the opportunity to gain practical experience in the field. Internships are able to take the book-learning out of the equation and allow students to see how much of the job hinges on busy work, collating presentations, sending lots of email, and more.
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Online Masters (MS)
These days, it's a good idea for most businesspeople to consider a master’s business degree and human resources students are no exception. Not only will a master’s human resources management degree help them earn more and rise into upper management, but it may also help them achieve a spot in the C-suites.
As in many professional degree areas, there are a few choices for a human resources student. One great option is a MS in Human Resources Management. This degree focuses only on HR for two years, enabling students to become true masters in their field. Another option is an MBA with a concentration in human resources. An MBA is very valuable because the first year is a general business curriculum that will enlighten HR managers who may not be exposed to those areas. In the second year, students can concentrate on human resource management.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
Though it may be rare to find a human resources management professional with a PhD, that may change some day. Since so many business professionals are returning to school for their MBA, human resources managers may want to consider a PhD to help differentiate themselves in the employment marketplace. However, the main use of a PhD in human resources is elsewhere for now.
Most PhDs who study human resources are headed for a position in academia. There, they can apply their research to classroom work. While it may only take a master’s human resource management degree to teach, a PhD will facilitate a career in a full-time, tenure track position. There is also the possibility of finding work as a research faculty member. Research faculty concern themselves with expanding the field by way of research and many will work as de facto consultants for concerns that need their HR protocols examined.
Become a Human Resources Manager in Delaware
Delaware is a mighty force in the world of business and finance. Despite its diminutive footprint, it still ranks #22 for largest financial sector. This alone is impressive, but then the state is also a force to be reckoned with in the areas of agribusiness, manufacturing, and real estate. Delaware is also on the rise as a tourist destination, not to mention its growing fishing operations. Furthermore, Delaware is close to many of the nation's largest business and government centers. Philadelphia is very close to Wilmington, and New York City is not too far from there. Delaware also enjoys close proximity to Washington DC and Baltimore.
All of this commercial activity is fueled by one primary force: labor. No enterprise can yet operate by computer alone, so humans are needed to perform many of the primary tasks. Thus, there is a huge demand for human resources professionals who help recruit and maintain a stable, functioning workforce for their firms, meaning there will be work as a human resources manager in Delaware consistently for the foreseeable future.
This field may not necessarily require a degree in order to succeed, but an education will certainly help. Once a student reaches their third or fourth year in high school, they may want to start looking for the best Delaware human resources management degree program for them. Some will already have a firm idea of where they want to specialize, such as in compensation, so they can look for the human resources degree programs that offer a curriculum that includes upper-level coursework in that area.
Not only should students look for the best curriculum for their long-term goals, but they need to evaluate the overall school and department, as well. The best way to discern whether a program will be of value is by looking at its accreditation credentials. The baseline accreditation for any Delaware college or university is a regional accreditation. Students should confirm that their chosen school's credentials are validated by CHEA. On top of a regional accreditation, students in business and business-associated programs, such as human resources, can look for a program specific, national accreditation from AACSB, ACBSP, or IACBE. Programs with these credentials are sure to be highly valued by hiring professionals and graduate school admissions counselors.
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Additional Careers for Human Resources Manager Graduates
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks:
The world of Delaware insurance constantly needs qualified insurance claims professionals and policy processing clerks. Claims professionals can specialize in several areas including automotive, professional liability, and homeowners polices. Claims professionals ensure that the claims are valid and then use actuarial tables to determine the payout to the claimant, if any. - Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (not legal):
This entry-level position is a must-have for any business. Administrative assistants help professionals with tasks such as typing reports, coordinating resources for meetings, arranging travel arrangements, and more. To succeed, there is no necessary degree requirement, but two-year Delaware community college degree will be highly valued. Some good options for an associate degree include accounting, management, mathematics, and humanities. - Lodging Managers:
The hotel and hospitality industry is constantly growing and often needs new managers. Lodging managers oversee a staff that can include groundskeepers, front-desk staff, concierges, valets, kitchen staff, and the vital cleaning staff. To succeed in this field, lodging managers likely need a degree in management and years of experience in hotels and hospitality. - Public Relations Specialists:
These professionals are experts at managing their clients' public image. They write press releases that laud their client's achievements, and they work hard to spin perceived negatives in a way that doesn't harm their client. Some PR specialists are in-house and only represent one company, but many work for PR firms so they can represent a variety of client from multiple industries. - Occupational Health and Safety Technicians:
The workplace can be a dangerous place. Even office buildings need a safety technician to evaluate their space to help them achieve a higher level of safety. More dangerous workplaces such as coal mines or manufacturing facilities may need greater attention to detail. - Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistance:
These assistants have some of the highest salaries of any assistant. Legal secretaries and other legal assistants are trained in matters of law and can help write briefs, interview clients, and perform many tasks that are specific to a law practice - Chief Executives:
These business professionals are at the top of the ladder. To become a chief executive, most people need to work long and hard in their firm to earn the position. On the other hand, a person can start their own business and earn the title that way. Nevertheless, most chief executives rise through the ranks of employees, earn an MBA business degree, and then take their deserved spot in the C-suites. - Human Resources Managers:
Each human resources department is comprised of specialists and a manager. Human resource managers typically will have many years of experience in human resources and a master’s human resource management degree. Some may have an MBA. These professionals oversee their team of HR professionals to ensure that their firm's staff is happy and productive. - Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers:
No town could possibly function without a police department, fire fighters, and a team of ambulance drivers. These towns also need dispatchers who can send those public servants to the scenes of crimes, fires, and accidents in hopes of allaying any further damage to the community. Dispatchers need strong analytical skills and the ability to manage vital civic resources.
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