Learning and development (L&D) is an essential component of any human resources (HR) strategy, and thus falls under the purview of HR. By mentioning that you have training experience, you showcase an especially integral HR skill. It suggests an awareness of several key skills, including understanding training needs, liaising with management, delivering the training itself, and responding to trainee feedback. Experience with training also highlights that you have experienced a junior-senior power dynamic. This can be particularly helpful in HR, as you will need to represent staff and navigate complex power dynamics, which can always be tricky. Training experience is, therefore, the next best thing in lieu of actual management experience. Therefore, if you have provided training to someone, I strongly recommend showcasing this, strengthening your resume for HR-related roles.
Boast your communication skills. Much of a Human Resources position is having strong communication skills, and being able to display this strength on your resume will help you where you're lacking work experience. When describing other past jobs on your resume, for example, include in the job descriptions the ways in which you showcased strong communication skills, and discuss how they can translate to a position in HR.
What can make a significant difference in catching the hiring manager's attention is highlighting transferable skills from other roles or prior education. I once had a candidate apply for an entry-level HR position with no experience in the field. However, she had a degree in Psychology and had worked as a customer service representative in a call center. This showed she could have great communication and problem-solving skills, which are highly valuable in HR. During the interview, she highlighted how she applied these transferable skills in her previous roles and explained how they could be helpful in HR. And she made it. She landed the job and has been an asset to our team ever since.
Everyone loves quick learners, and on a resume, this trait is particularly attractive for someone who doesn’t have the advantage of prior expertise in an industry. So make sure that your rapid learning abilities find the spotlight in your resume. Take it a step further and connect this aptitude to your previous job experiences, where you can mention how you could pick up new skills quickly and were soon the go-to person for assistance and advice. Also, since HR tools and platforms are an essential part of even entry-level positions, you can cite examples and mention your potential to promptly achieve tech competency even when you do not have experience in the field. If your resume manages to convey this strength of quick learning convincingly, it will impress the team enough to at least call you in for an interview.
The Human Resources Department deals with human capital. In order to obtain an entry level position in this area, share how you are a good listener. It is important that you care about people and the human condition. Share a life experience where you have helped someone with a life situation. Share how you listened. Share how you helped the individual use their critical thinking to make a sound decision. Make it clear that you are open to support all people regarless of race, creed or religion. Your personal thoughts and ideas have to be tabled to work in HR. Humans are the products of their environment. A person's environment will impact how they respond to situations in the workplace. By listening, you will be able to pick up on the social queues from the individual talking to you. This will allow you to put yourself in the shoes of the other person and make fair decisions pertaining to situations brought to your attention. Everyone loves a good listener!
Few other departments in an organization even come close to the number of personal interactions an HR team is responsible for. Relying heavily on the equation they build with people within and outside of an organization, it is highly important for HR personnel to have people skills. So when you highlight this skill in your resume, you know you’re presenting yourself as a worthy candidate. You will now be perceived as a candidate who can coordinate with hiring managers, conduct face-to-face interactions related to retention and recruitment, and even negotiate with vendors. Regardless of the role, your people skills will make you a great fit. Thanks to this mention, it will be easier for an HR manager to shortlist your resume.
HR is a people-first function, regardless of the math and tech that goes into most modern HR organizations. To work in HR, especially at an entry level where you'll be facing people more closely on a day to day level, you've got to be good with people. Having no experience isn't a huge detriment if you can demonstrate that you are what you'd call a "people person", though having some experience in tech is always a plus these days. Put down your social clubs, events you've participated in - I've even seen some people put down how many followers they have on Twitter to highlight their excellent people and communication skills. It all adds up to paint a picture.
While resume summaries have replaced resume objectives as the recommended introductory section of a resume, an objective is still the better choice for entry-level HR candidates who have little to no experience. A resume objective can help a candidate highlight their transferable skills and academic achievements, while also letting the hiring manager know about their career goals and what they expect to accomplish in the organization and position they’re applying for. The objective should sit at the top of the resume and be tailored to the role and company in every application.
If you're applying for an entry-level Human Resources position but don't have any direct HR experience, it's important to focus on transferable skills and experiences that could be applied to the role. For example, if you've worked in customer service, you can highlight your ability to communicate effectively and provide support. If you've managed projects or events, you can showcase your organizational skills. Analytical skills, such as problem-solving and data analysis, are also highly valued in HR. Be sure to describe these experiences in detail and explain how they could be applied to an HR role. For instance, if you've managed events, you could explain how you coordinated schedules and resources, which could be useful in scheduling interviews or coordinating employee training.
To make a successful application for an entry-level Human Resources position, candidates should make sure to include a demonstrated commitment to learning and growing in their field. It might include volunteer experience within the HR field or speaking engagements about HR topics. It could also be evidence of continued education on current HR trends. A newfound familiarity with some of the more complex areas, like employee taxes and labor laws, would also put a candidate ahead of the competition for this role. Showing that you have the ambition to learn, keep up with industry changes, and take advantage of development opportunities is an asset to any HR resume.
Head of Learning Sciences at Zavvy
Answered 3 years ago
HR is all about managing stakeholders and communicating. Hard skills, best practices, etc. can all be learned. Communication too - but it takes more time. People professionals need to proactively communicate along every step of the way - whether it's about payroll policies, the new people development setup, or anything else. By "communication" I both mean verbal and written comm. skills. The latter gets ignored way too often, but the way you bring a message across is so important.
If you are going for a HR position with no prior experience, read the skills requested in the position description and then try to show how your previous experiences (even if you got them from school, college or university) could be transferred to the HR role. Then look at the soft skills required for the role e.g. communication, collaborative working and give examples of times where you have demonstrated these skills in other professional or educational settings. It might take a little longer to get shortlisted than if you did have experience but keep trying, improving your cover letter and show that you have the skills and drive to succeed in a HR role.