HR jobs?

[Doolkid]

Recap: 22 year-old who graduated with a BA in Sociology from a small liberal arts college in May 2007. Still working a crappy retail job and looking for real work.

Alright, So I'm looking for a real job. Honestly, any job that pays okay (at least 20K a year, i'm not asking for a lot) and I like enough will be alright. However the kinds of jobs I would prefer would be in either an HR office, non-profit organization, a government job, or at a college.

So as I browse the HR jobs and all of them require HR experience. So I was wondering, how does one get into the HR field?

Also, I've seen so many cool jobs on my state's job website that require a sociology degree! :D But also the appropriate work experience. :mad: Including the most recent one as a public defender investigator...which sounds like so much fun. But the only state job I can get with a soc degree and no experience is a welfare case worker...and I've heard horror stories from people who have had this job, so no thanks!

[winneythepooh7]

From the people I know in my personal life who work in HR, it's because that is what their background/experience is in, or, part of their job requirements involve doing some HR duties (I know at my last job as a social work program manager I was in charge of the hiring).

You should be able to find an entry-level position in the human services field as well that is not in welfare. Some suggestions are group homes or a residential program/apartment program in the community as a counselor for adults with mental illness.

What part of the country do you live in? I'm not going to lie to you.........in the NYC area where I live, it has become an employer's market in the human services field so companies are being picky even about who they will hire for the $20K a year positions. However, if you have good references, appear motivated to work and present like you actually give a damn about the people you'd be working with, as a social work manager, I'd be willing to give you a chance.

Try looking on socialservices.com or even go to your local diner/Rite Aid/CVS and see if they have that bi-weekly jobs newspaper. I've often seen companies listed in them that hire new grads for entry-level positions that are not in child welfare/welfare case work.

[MsRiss7383]

I have a degree in English and I started in an administrative role and worked my way up to Senior Generalist. HR is defintely a field where experience means more than education and most people start at the very bottom and work their way up. Even a lot of the MBA-holding executives I've met started at the admin level and a lot of them got their degrees (including their B.A.s) along the way as they advanced their careers.

[Bsig84]

Omg I was exactly where you are a few months ago! I graduated with a psychology degree and I wanted to work in HR. I was having so much trouble finding something because everything required years of HR experience. Finally, I found a entry-level HR position. I am an HR assistant at a really great company. The pay is not fantastic but I can work my way up here. In, fact they really encourage employees moving up in the company. Try to find something entry-level and if you get an interview, make sure to ask them whether they encourage employees to move up in the company. You will have to start at the bottom but it can definately be done!

[Doolkid]

I live in the southern portion of the US. I appreciate the offer very much Winnie, but I don't think I want to live in NYC at this time in my life. Thanks though :)

I guess you guys are right...I need to find an admin position and work my way up. But that leads to another problem; It seems all the admin jobs around her require experience, which I don't have!

[Bsig84]

Keep looking! Usually if there is an admin job it will be filled pretty quickly because a lot of people are in the same boat you are in. You could also try sending a resume to some companies that you really like and that way if something opened up they would already have your resume on file. I just stumbled on my job because I knew someone that already worked for this company and he turned my resume into HR. Try doing something like that. Use every single person you know to get your name/resume out there. I know it may seem really uncomfortable but that is one of the best ways to get a job.