"Mini-Guide" to a Human Resources Degree Online

The duties of human resources professionals vary greatly, but the four main areas making up this occupation are employee placement, employee benefits, employee training, and employee relations.

Employee placement has to do with the recruitment, hiring, and separation of employees. Recruiters are dedicated to finding individuals best suited to their company's standards, and the job may involve travel to meet with and screen potential candidates.

Employee benefits specialists manage a company's compensation packages, the value of which comes from much more than just a worker's salary. Benefits may include healthcare, pension plans, or 401K plans, and these human resource professionals know how to navigate the complexity of various plans and tailor them to individual employees.

It is common business knowledge that well-trained employees are more efficient and have higher morale in the workplace.

Training and development specialists create and implement training sessions for employees and ensure that company objectives are met.

Employee relations specialists are usually called upon to negotiate collective bargaining agreements or to handle dispute resolution. They also mediate between the employees, their unions, and executive management.

Human resources professionals usually work in a business office and follow the standard 40-hour work week. Some occupations in the field may involve travel, especially for recruiters, international employee relation specialists, contract trainers and mediators.

Though generally a well-paid field, there is such a broad range of occupations within human resources that salaries can differ widely. Like most other occupations, location, level of experience, and type of company have the biggest influence on salary.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006, the Median Annual Earnings:

• For employment, recruitment, and placement specialists were $42,420
• For compensation and benefits managers were $74,750
• For training and development managers were $80,250
• For human resources managers, all other were $88,510

Formal education in the field of human resources, unlike some other fields where certain degrees are required, should be interdisciplinary and well-rounded.

Many schools offer degrees in personnel, human resources administration or labor relations. Related fields include business, organizational development, communication, and even psychology.

Employers value candidates whose educational background shows a wide knowledge of business organization and an understanding of human relationships. One of the most important qualities in a job candidate is experience, which could include internships set up through a school.

Human resources professionals, above all else, have to have good social skills and know how to satisfy everyone in a company—from the highest rung on the ladder to the lowest. They should be smart, resourceful, and have excellent written and oral communication skills. They should have integrity, fair-mindedness, and know how to practice discretion and handle delicate information. Some jobs may require good quantitative skills as well.

For those interested in earning an associate's degree online, you can expect to earn your degree in 3 to 4 years if you take 1 or 2 courses at a time. Full time students, who take 3 to 4 courses at once, can expect to earn their associate's degree online in about 2 years time. A bachelor's degree, which may be preferred or required by some employers, can be yours in as little as three years.

For those not in a rush, perhaps already employed and ready to make a career change over time, online learning can be ideal. Every online HR degree program has a different cap on how long you may take to earn your diploma, but they are all designed to work for the busy person's schedule, offering a flexibility and accessibility that most traditional programs cannot.

If you are interested in earning your HR certification online, there are programs available for those who hold at least an associate's degree.

For a student with an undergraduate degree (e.g. an associate's degree
or bachelor's degree), then you can typically expect to take 5-6 classes to complete your certificate online. Most students take one class at a time and earn their HR certificate in under a year.

If you hold a bachelor's degree and want to enroll in a graduate level HR certificate program, most programs require that you take anywhere from 4-5 courses. At the graduate level, the length of your class will be longer than at the undergraduate level. If you take one class at a time, you can expect to complete your HR certification program in just over a year.

Online certificate programs are great for individuals interested in becoming an HR professional, or developing their skills to move up in their company or field. Most HR certificate programs allow you to apply your certificate credits towards a full degree, so if you're thinking about earning your online HR degree, a certificate programs may be a great way to become familiar with the delivery format.