The Human Resource Professional´s Career Guide: Building A Position Of Strength
By Jeanne Palmer with Martha I. Finney
Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer 2004
While there are many books about how to better manage human resources within organizations, The Human Resource Professional´s Career Guide: Building a Position of Strength is the first book on how to manage your career as a human resource (HR) professional. Authors Jeanne Palmer, an HR recruiter who understands the in´s and out´s of HR professionals´ careers, with Martha Finney, long-time HR writer (she was also Libby Sartain´s co-author on HR From the Heart), offer sound advice for individuals who have decided to make HR their career home.
This is a career guide that should be on every HR professional´s bookshelf. It will be helpful to those interested in planning for their own professional development, as a tool for those mentoring and supporting others in HR, and for building a strong reputation-or personal brand-to help land that next great job. It offers unique advantages, in that it is written in clear, concise language, sprinkled with great stories and examples from Palmer´s background, and with interviews with HR leaders at the top of their game that bring her advice to life. There are excellent tips and guidelines, and should be a real help to those charting their paths to success in HR.
The book´s eight chapters are filled with practical, common-sense advice on everything from how to chart your career path to how to interview for the next job and develop your reputation as a strong business leader. Interspersed throughout the book are interviews with top HR professionals from a number of industries and HR roles who share their successes and missteps.
The eight chapters focus on differing aspects of HR career management, and highlight issues such as:
- How to develop your career "kit"
- Sample HR titles and job descriptions
- Considerations for the next HR role
- Reasons to make a change
- Strategies for promoting yourself and your career
- Typical missteps and how to rectify them
- How to be an "A" player
- Interviewing to get the job of your dreams
The fascinating interviews with senior HR professionals at the end of each chapter offer the stories of HR pros with successful careers in the profession, with their answers to the hard questions, such as;
- What is the best piece of advice you received?
- What is the best piece of advice you give to aspiring professionals?
- What is the best thing that new entrants into the profession can do for themselves? The worst?
- WWhen did you take a risk that paid off?
- How and why did you get into HR?
These interviews offer a unique insight into the paths of different professionals, and offers sound advice from these pros.
The appendices offer excellent reference information, including details on career tracks, sample job descriptions, certifications, credentials, tools and training, and associations, along with web addresses and contact information, where appropriate.
Click here to order the book.
