Human resources lead skills for your resume and career

FYI, soft skills are a lot more difficult to train than hard skills. This is part of the reason that there is so much demand for soft skills - for the most part, they need to be innate to the candidate.
Here again, communication comes up - and here, it is important to recognize that communication is much more than just telling people. A good communicator is a great listener. He knows when to speak his mind and when to wait and see what happens. She knows how to collaborate effectively with people and how to take action when needed.

HR, like many work environments, is driven by using data to address challenges. This requires a strong analytical foundation.

Using technology in a work setting (such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams) and a focus on soft skills such as collaboration and flexibility (being willing to learn and contribute any way you can) will become increasingly important.

Employers seeking help in their employee benefits and compensation areas are looking for individuals with analytical skills and an eagerness to understand complex systems. Employee benefits work is driven by a intricate web of laws, regulations and the employer’s own benefit plan design. It’s critical these are followed to the letter, with clear communication to their customers who, in this case, are the employees and their family members.

Most colleges do not have an employee benefits major, though many employers will seek out human resources, risk management, insurance, and data analytics majors. Successful employee benefit professionals have a wide range of educational backgrounds, many of which have little direct connection to benefits. Do not be discouraged to apply for jobs solely based on your major. To catch employers’ attention, graduates should seek out specialized designations, such as the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist® (CEBS) designation. Designations show a commitment to the industry and demonstrate knowledge with a unique, sought-after skill.

Transferable skills sounds like a cliche but it is one of the strengths for our students which allows a diverse range of career options both within our field and outside of it. Some of the most consistent skills that we attempt to foster and seem to be important for prospective employers include: strong interpersonal communication skills including listening and advanced technical writing, understanding of program development and evaluation, community outreach, etc. While I wouldn't quite consider these skills, many of our students demonstrate high levels of empathy, have firm knowledge of social issues and human development processes, as well as a baseline understanding of the policymaking process in the U.S. and within our state. This combination of skills and knowledge lends itself well to work with nonprofit organizations, public and private agencies, and work with the cooperative extension network most directly. However, many of our students also use these skills to move into health-related professions, including occupational therapy and nursing, as well as counseling professions including marriage and family therapy, school counseling, social work, etc. Many students will complement their undergraduate studies in HDFS with graduate degrees that will further enhance their competitiveness and/or provide the technical training, certification, and/or licensure needed.