The Importance of Career Networking and Holland’s Theory in HR Management
The objective of this section is to address the learning outcomes one and three where I showcase my understanding of self-awareness and to prepare to present myself at any job interview. The benefits of networking in creating commercial awareness of the human resource management sector about the Holland’s theory of career choice are discussed as well. Additionally, the skills learned from elevator pitch and applied in the networking experiences attended are provided in details.
1.2 Networking
According to Jackson (2014), Career networking is significant in many ways in creating commercial awareness of the human resource management sector. It helps in the reassessment of one’s qualifications, finding hidden jobs, and career development (Hall, 2011; Mohd Rasdi et al., 2013).
Career networking becomes an assessment of the nature of the actual job market with regard to knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is common knowledge that careers and the job industry vary from time to time, making job qualifications of some employees irrelevant. Spurk et al. (2015) and Boswell et al. (2012) argues that career networking with working experts and industry professionals will help to prepare me for my employability. For example, the desired professional skills in the human resource management have been changing, and the employers also shift service delivery to automation. Networking will, therefore, equip me with the reality on the ground.
Kroft and Pope ( 2014) show that 80% of job vacancies are never advertised online and in the newspaper, thus searching for job vacancies can be a daunting task. This is because recruiters and the management resort to networking and word-of-mouth to fetch for qualified candidates (José, and Cardoso, 2011). Therefore, networking can be significant to me when looking for potential jobs after the search on job websites has failed (Caliendo et al., 2011).
I can use networking in professional groups and corporate associations to seek for guidance on how to advance my career in a way to that is relevant to the current market needs. This will ensure that my skills are those that are eagerly sort of by the employer thus placing me in a better position than other graduates.
The Holland’s theory of career choice is the most relevant one to my career (human resource management) (Patton and McMahon, 2014). According to this theory, my career falls under social because am interested in interacting with people, training, offering help among others. This also is proof of how networking, which requires sociability, will be of benefit to me in providing commercial awareness to my career.
1.3 Reflection on Networking Experiences
How to Prepare for Job Interviews through Networking Experiences
I have attended two networking experiences, all relevant to my profession. These include HR professionals’ summit and HR & Talent Acquisition Conference.
During these events, I used the elevator pitch skills to attract potential employers for my industrial attachment. Denning and Dew (2012) opine that the elevator pitch assists in career exploration and development. I was able to not oversell or undersell my skills and experience by creating a positive impact within a short time which left a lasting impression on some of the potential employers. I also employed practical communication skills in delivering my elevator pitch.
This section comprises of learning outcome three, and it details the relevance of my degree programme in attaining the required job skills. An analysis of CIPD is also provided alongside a discussion of my plan to secure the professional qualification.
2.2 Using BSc Human Resource Management to Develop Job Skills
There are several ways I can use my degree programme to develop a broad perspective of my career and avoid the common linear problems associated with most graduates.
I can use the degree programme to acquire Analytical skills through the debates, case analyses, and determining the inconsistencies that I engage in under the degree program. Also, through the elevator pitch learned in the course I can learn written and verbal communication skills even though the group discussions that am usually involved in with my colleagues. Through the research project that is mandatory in my degree program, I can develop investigative skills by researching and assembling study literature and supporting my arguments. Similarly, through analyzing data in my study research, I can develop numeracy skills. Through the group assignments that are routinely given by my lecturers, I can gain teamwork skills. Information technology skills can as well be acquired through the use of the internet for research while accomplishing my assignments.
2.3 Professional Qualification: Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD)
I prefer to take the HR professional qualification from CIPD because it is the main professional body accredited to offer the professional HR qualifications. Its qualifications are globally recognized as the professional standard for the industry. I, therefore, prefer the course because of its excellent reputation.
The It will not only offer me the required knowledge and skills that is needful in the workplace but also make me all rounded and more knowledgeable in HR. Trends in the job industry also show that employers prefer candidates to have at least a single CIPD qualification. It also becomes a specific career enhancer and makes my CV look more credible in the sight of the employers.
2.4 Plan of acquiring CIPD
The Relevance of CIPD Qualifications in HR Management
I plan to pursue the advanced level of CIPD with learning and development focus while working. This is because I plan to develop strategic understanding of personnel management. The qualifications attained will add the following value to the employer thus making me the most favorable candidate:
I will be able to achieve significant career development skills and improve the status of my professionalism because the course paves the way towards my chartered membership.
I will also be of value to the employer because the course will enable me to learn how to establish HRM strategies, policies, procedures, and effective programmes within a dynamic business context.
The course will also equip me for problem-solving and concentrate on areas in HRM where I can offer a competitive advantage to the corporation.
This section deals with the first and fourth learning outcomes where the job description and specification of an HRO is provided alongside relevant skills. A critical appraisal is then done by justifying how my Linked in profile and CV have the desirable skills for the position. Lastly, a reflection of my interview experience using the STAR method is reported.
3.2 Human Resource Officer: Job Description
A Human Resource Officer (HRO) is a significant part of any organization, profitable or non-profitable, public or private sector. The job responsibilities cover a wide range of areas, and sometimes they can be specialists who focus on a specific area of HR.
- Closely working with different departments, continuously in a consultancy role, helping the middle managers to comprehend and implement policies and procedures;
- coordinating with a range of staff that are engaged in policy sectors such as employee performance and well-being;
- foster the organizational culture of equality and diversity
- recruit staff, in addition to designing job descriptions and individual specifications, developing job adverts, screening forms of applications, shortlisting, interviewing and selecting potential applicants;
- developing and implementing guidelines on various issues such as work safety, reward management, equality at work, disciplinary measures and absence management;
- preparing employee handbooks
- providing counsel on remuneration and other payment issues, as well as promotion and perks;
- carrying our reviews routinely;
- Negotiating with the employees and their representatives such as the labor unions on matters of pay and work conditions.
The HRO position is usually open to all undergraduates or with an additional higher national diploma (HND); however, the employer may be categorical on the following subjects:
- Human resource management
- Business or management
- Business alongside languages
- Ability to handle the leadership role
- Conscious of business and management skills
- Persuasive and negotiation skills to implement individual policies
- The potential to compile and analyze statistical data and communicate it in a particular and understandable way
- Corporate skills and the ability to comprehend in-depth information
- Necessary IT and numeracy skills needed for the management of employee computerized payroll and perk systems
- Inter-personal skills to develop good work relationships with all the staff
- The potential to examine and interpret relevant labor laws
- Honesty and accessibility because the management and the employees must be free with you to discuss private and confidential matters
My Linked in and CV demonstrates that I have desirable skills for the position of the human resource officer which are fundamentally provided in the current job descriptions above. For instance, my Linked in profile and CV indicate skills such as commercial awareness, effective management skills, teamwork skills, particular attention to details, IT and numerical skills. These skills are the ones that are described in the current job descriptions listed above. Gerard (2012) shows that linked to links
I used the STAR method to prepare for the interview and even though the interview process. The following is the question asked by the interviewer and my corresponding response using the STAR approach:
Interviewer question: Describe a time when I had to complete a challenging task and what was your reaction?
Situation
We were working as a team of five over a research project assigned by the teacher, and then we divided roles to each of us. Then it happened that 24 hours to the submission deadline, one of my colleague felt sick even though he had just done an introduction to the task that he was assigned.
Task
I had to come in and assist with the task because the rest of the team members were unwilling to help
Action
I took the partial part that the sick team-mate had done and rushed to the school library even though I was on my way home from class. I sat down or the next five hours and had to research and compile the research project.
Result
I was able to get home though late, but the following I was able to submit a complete and compiled report for our team without which non-of us could graduate.
References
Boswell, W.R., Zimmerman, R.D. and Swider, B.W., 2012. Employee job search: Toward an understanding of search context and search objectives. Journal of Management, 38(1), pp.129-163.
Caliendo, M., Schmidl, R. and Uhlendorff, A., 2011. Social networks, job search methods and reservation wages: Evidence for Germany. International Journal of Manpower, 32(7), pp.796-824.
Denning, P.J. and Dew, N., 2012. The myth of the elevator pitch. Communications of the ACM, 55(6), pp.38-40.
Gerard, J.G., 2012. Linking in with LinkedIn®: Three exercises that enhance professional social networking and career building. Journal of Management Education, 36(6), pp.866-897.
Hall, S., 2011. Educational ties, social capital and the translocal (re) production of MBA alumni networks. Global Networks, 11(1), pp.118-138.
Jackson, D., 2014. Factors influencing job attainment in recent Bachelor graduates: evidence from Australia. Higher Education, 68(1), pp.135-153.
José, R. and Cardoso, J.C., 2011. Opportunities and challenges of interactive public displays as an advertising medium. In Pervasive Advertising (pp. 139-157). Springer, London.
Kroft, K. and Pope, D.G., 2014. Does online search crowd out traditional search and improve matching efficiency? Evidence from Craigslist. Journal of Labor Economics, 32(2), pp.259-303.
Mohd Rasdi, R., N. Garavan, T. and Ismail, M., 2013. Networking behaviours and managers’ career success in the Malaysian public service: The moderating effect of gender. Personnel Review, 42(6), pp.684-703.
Patton, W. and McMahon, M., 2014. Career development and systems theory: Connecting theory and practice (Vol. 2). Springer.
Spurk, D., Kauffeld, S., Barthauer, L. and Heinemann, N.S., 2015. Fostering networking behavior, career planning and optimism, and subjective career success: An intervention study. Journal of vocational behavior, 87, pp.134-144.
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