ASK HR: My friends tell me I will be wasting my time if I study HR ...
I am about to join college to study human resource management, though due to my poor performance in high school, I have to start from certificate level. PHOTO| FILE
What you need to know:
- I have heard numerous accounts of how HR professionals abuse the authority and power that comes with the office, becoming part of the problems they should be working hard to resolve.
- Some use their offices to peddle power and politics in organisations, supporting poor decisions by line managers without raising a finger, instead of nurturing and supporting employee growth.
- These are the people who give HR a bad name.
Q.I am about to join college to study human resource management, though due to my poor performance in high school, I have to start from certificate level. I am okay with it. My only problem is that the people around me keep telling me that HR is not a worthwhile course to study. Most say I won’t be able to get a job. I like reading your advice section and would really appreciate it if you gave me some advice. I completed high school in 2015 and feel that this is my last chance to set my life straight. I hope you can help me.
Thank you for reading this column. We are glad you find our advice useful. Congratulations on being clear on what career you would like to pursue despite the push from the naysayers.
All you need to do at the moment is focus on this career goal, meet academic requirements necessary for this study, and resources to support your education. The HR profession has evolved over years from record keepers to more strategic HR using HR metrics to inform business decisions. This is quite critical as organisations continue to evolve in response to many external factors, including technology, and globalisation. My view is that HR is as critical to organisations now more than ever, and remains a career of the future, building effective relationships and culture that enhances employee engagement and productivity.
I have heard numerous accounts of how HR professionals abuse the authority and power that comes with the office, becoming part of the problems they should be working hard to resolve. Some use their offices to peddle power and politics in organisations, supporting poor decisions by line managers without raising a finger, instead of nurturing and supporting employee growth. These are the people who give HR a bad name.
I note that at the start of your career, you make a statement about this being “your last chance to set your life straight” and I wonder what you have been through. Life would be awesome if everything remained straight and easy, but as you start your career, know that in every journey, there are corners, valleys, hills and mountains. Be ready to learn from every experience and challenge you encounter, adjust and improve your strategy to move to the next level. Do not get stuck in reverse.
