Can I pursue a career in human resource management?
Feb 12, 2008
CAREER GUIDANCE<br><br>Dear Jamesa,<br>I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and German from Makerere University, but I have failed to get a job. I am thinking of broadening my career base by doing a masters degree in Human Resource Management. Is this possible without any work ex
CAREER GUIDANCE
Dear Jamesa,
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and German from Makerere University, but I have failed to get a job. I am thinking of broadening my career base by doing a masters degree in Human Resource Management. Is this possible without any work experience or should I begin with a post-graduate diploma? Â
James
DEAR James, failure to get a job has nothing to do with the course you did. Although jobs advertised emphasise professional qualifications, employers usually focus on ‘the individual behind the transcript.’
Job selection considers interpersonal and communication skills, strengths and weaknesses. Given that every job applicant holds a degree, you need something more to give you an edge over others. You need to ‘package’ yourself uniquely for the job market. This ‘packaging’ is referred to as career branding.
As William Aruda, an international branding expert writes in 1-2-3 Success! Three Steps to Building Your Brand, personal branding is not about building a special image for the outside world; it is about understanding your unique attributes like strength, skills, values and passions. It is these attributes that give an edge over others. Branding is about believing in your abilities and projecting that confidence in whatever you do.
Post-graduate training is another way of sharpening your brand, especially when your first degree lacks a professional bias. There is nothing wrong with Human Resource Management, but you need to establish why you want it. Human Resource Management involves dealing with people in a work environment. Do you enjoy working with people? It is possible to pursue this programme without work experience. However, those with work experience find it easier to apply theory to real life.
Training
-Makerere University Business School and the Uganda Management Institute offer a one-year post-graduate diploma programme and a two-year masters programme in Human Resource Management.
Career opportunities
Human resource policy has taken root in almost all organisations in Uganda. This makes the Human Resource Management programme marketable. The skills prepare one for jobs in any organisation with a human resource department.
You can be employed as an organisational planner, manager, administrator or human resource officer. Main employers are:
-Financial institutions
-Mass media industry (TV, radio, print media)
-Non-governmental organisations
-Hotels, leisure and hospitality industry
-Manufacturing industries
Self-employment:
Post-graduate training in Human Resource Management offers you organisation-based skills that can enable you to create and manage your own organisation.
Rather than hunting for a job, you may consider opening up your own consultancy dealing with human resource training and recruitment.
Compiled by
Jamesa Wagwau
Dear Jamesa,
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and German from Makerere University, but I have failed to get a job. I am thinking of broadening my career base by doing a masters degree in Human Resource Management. Is this possible without any work experience or should I begin with a post-graduate diploma? Â
James
DEAR James, failure to get a job has nothing to do with the course you did. Although jobs advertised emphasise professional qualifications, employers usually focus on ‘the individual behind the transcript.’
Job selection considers interpersonal and communication skills, strengths and weaknesses. Given that every job applicant holds a degree, you need something more to give you an edge over others. You need to ‘package’ yourself uniquely for the job market. This ‘packaging’ is referred to as career branding.
As William Aruda, an international branding expert writes in 1-2-3 Success! Three Steps to Building Your Brand, personal branding is not about building a special image for the outside world; it is about understanding your unique attributes like strength, skills, values and passions. It is these attributes that give an edge over others. Branding is about believing in your abilities and projecting that confidence in whatever you do.
Post-graduate training is another way of sharpening your brand, especially when your first degree lacks a professional bias. There is nothing wrong with Human Resource Management, but you need to establish why you want it. Human Resource Management involves dealing with people in a work environment. Do you enjoy working with people? It is possible to pursue this programme without work experience. However, those with work experience find it easier to apply theory to real life.
Training
-Makerere University Business School and the Uganda Management Institute offer a one-year post-graduate diploma programme and a two-year masters programme in Human Resource Management.
Career opportunities
Human resource policy has taken root in almost all organisations in Uganda. This makes the Human Resource Management programme marketable. The skills prepare one for jobs in any organisation with a human resource department.
You can be employed as an organisational planner, manager, administrator or human resource officer. Main employers are:
-Financial institutions
-Mass media industry (TV, radio, print media)
-Non-governmental organisations
-Hotels, leisure and hospitality industry
-Manufacturing industries
Self-employment:
Post-graduate training in Human Resource Management offers you organisation-based skills that can enable you to create and manage your own organisation.
Rather than hunting for a job, you may consider opening up your own consultancy dealing with human resource training and recruitment.
Compiled by
Jamesa Wagwau