Entry-Level Jobs for Aspiring HR Professionals at Cisco Systems
Carolyn, a People Consultant at Cisco, highlights the diverse entry points into HR, emphasizing that "there's no one perfect entry-level role." Traditional routes include HR assistant, benefits analyst, or payroll analyst, but experience from other fields, such as sales or finance, is equally valuable, bringing "invaluable" insights and strengthening the HR community.
HR, Recruiting, Benefits, Payroll, Project Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Carolyn Wright
People Consultant - People Partner
Cisco Systems, Inc
American University
UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA
International Relations & Affairs
Technology
Human Resources (HR)
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Many entry-level HR roles exist, such as HR assistant, benefits analyst, or payroll analyst.
2. Experience in other fields like sales or finance can be valuable in HR, offering unique perspectives and skills.
3. There is no single right path into HR; individuals can enter the field at various career stages, bringing diverse experiences.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
The great thing about HR is that it's a career path you can enter at many different points. There isn't one perfect entry-level role.
I'll break it down into two groups. The more traditional route includes roles like HR assistant. Many industries and companies have these positions, and it was a great way to learn the basics.
I helped with signing people up for benefits, doing I-9 authorizations, and working with payroll. I also did recruiting, including resume reviews and learning our candidate tracking system. I learned how to interview, which were all valuable experiences.
Other entry-level HR roles might be a benefits analyst or payroll analyst. There are even junior roles in program or project management for company-wide offerings. However, these are not the only ways to enter an HR career.
The HR world greatly benefits from people joining later in their careers or as their second, third, or fourth job. They bring experience from other industries or functions.
For example, friends who worked in sales before HR bring invaluable insight. When HR works with salespeople, they understand what a salesperson cares about, their daily tasks, and what motivates them. People from finance bring expertise in data, numbers, and cost analysis, strengthening the HR community.
If you're interested in HR, it's a great path to start in an entry-level role. But if you don't start right out of college, keep it in mind because there are definite ways to enter the field. Coming from other functions brings a unique skillset that might not be represented in the current HR talent pool.
There's no single right or wrong path. There are many opportunities and ways to apply different skill sets within the broader HR function.