Cindy Faria ⋅ Pensacola, FL University of West Florida ⋅ 25 years experience

I do not think you must already be an expert in the area of business your new employer focuses on to be an effective HR person. You will learn about the business as you support the employees. HR is HR, and the basics are pretty much the same everywhere. You do need to learn the business, though, so you can be a strategic business partner. Do a lot of research on the company and industry before interviews so you can speak intelligently about their line of business, but, in my opinion, you don't have to bypass industries you are not experienced in.

Good luck!

Barbara Stern ⋅ Boulder, CO Affordable Closets,llc ⋅ 35 years experience

Hello,
Be specific about what your skill set has to offer the employer you wish to work. Show excitement and past successes that will highlight your abilities. Establish yourself as an expert in the arena you want to be in.
Be positive.

Denise DeHesus ⋅ Deerfield, IL Independent HR Consultant ⋅ 30 years experience

Hello Varneca, As an HR Manager/Business Partner, here's what I suggest: Look closely at the job requirements/responsibilities of the job in which you are interested, then draw parallels from your experience, and relate them to the prospective employer's stated needs. You may not have performed that responsibility from an "HR perspective" but you may find that you've done so in a more general manner. For instance, there are many administrative duties in an HR assistant role, such as ensuring the accurate completion of new hire paperwork, so that new hires get on payroll and enrolled in benefit programs. That activity requires attention to detail and timely processing. Again, determine what the desired job needs and relate what you've done that's similar and transferable. Also peruse some online job postings to determine the title you want to seek--maybe HR assistant? Best luck. Denise D

Al Hope, Sr. ⋅ Water Valley, MS City of Oxford, MS ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Varneca,
I'm a retired HR professional with many years of HR experience. HR is a part of most any organization or company. That's why you will find it's in all of the career fields you mentioned. Companies will ask for an HR Person "with experience in (X) work environment a plus or a must". The function of HR is still the same but it is better for the company and you to know about that certain type of work environment. I recommend that you take a look at the below links to give you more insight on the functions of HR.

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/home.htm.

This will give you the requirements of different areas of HR and pay. Also look at your state employment agency for more specific salaries in you area. They differ nationally and regionally. I will be happy to walk you through the details. Just email me at; algie3770@gmail.com

MSG Al E. Hope, Sr. USA (Retired)

Ron Schaefer ⋅ Santa Barbara, CA Montecito Retirement Association ⋅ 23 years experience

Varneca,

Following up on what others have posted, I agree that you should focus on your skill set, not on your industry experience. That said, each industry has unique HR needs. Manufacturing staff issues are different than medical staff issues; medical is different than hospitality... But many of your skills are universal: An HR file is an HR file. A performance review is a performance review.

I advise doing some research on companies you are interviewing with to see if there are uniqueness's to their industry, like union or non-union, 24/7 operations, reliance on temporary or seasonal labor, unique regulatory environment, etc. These are areas that you can learn "on the job" and you shouldn't shy away from exploring such positions.

A prospective employer may have a preference for someone with "industry knowledge", but not all will - that will pan out by those who invite you to an interview. If you are somewhat transparent (translucent? lol!) about where your learning curve is going to be, I think it can come across as insightful and professional.

William (Liam) Hickey ⋅ Chicago, IL Willpower Careers ⋅ 14 years experience

Varneca, follow up with the HR people on this thread. They have the best insight into what you are trying to do.

If you are talking about an "Objective" on your resume, skip it. Companies really don't care. They want to know what you can fill a need they have. They want to know how you can contribute right away.

However, I think you are talking about your keyword searches on job boards. For that, I want you to write down all of the industry-specific words associated with everything you did in HR. Think about specific report types, software names, topics from that paperwork, HR functions you were associated with. If you have any certifications, those represent specific keywords, too. (You may want to use quotation marks around multiple words.)

Example: I am a technical writer (lots of paperwork), and I worked on ITIL process documents. "ITIL" is a specific set of best practices for processes. This keyword targets my search and limits the results.

Use *specific* keywords from your experience in different combinations. If you have found a few job descriptions that *do* match what you are looking for, write down job-specific keywords from those announcements.

HTH,
Liam

Melinda Figueroa ⋅ Harrisonburg, VA Cargill ⋅ 10 years experience

Hi! I have been in HR for 10 years and I would be more than happy to help with any resume advice/review needed. Please feel free to contact me at melinda_figueroa@cargill.com. Thank you for your service!

Ted Mittelstaedt ⋅ Portland, OR Portlandia IT LLC ⋅ 20 years experience

I never once met an HR person who really knew anything about the company they worked for. Of course, all of them think they know everything about their company but that is simply not true. Most managers in a company only want one thing out of HR - for them to pay attention to paychecks, benefits and such. Which truthfully is really a specialty and is a full time job. But competency in what the company does is definitely not high on the need list for a good HR person.

David Alhadeff ⋅ Buffalo Grove, IL Lighthouse Consulting LLC ⋅ 29 years experience

Rather than word the position, focus on wording the kinds of activities that best reflects what you are looking to do. There are many business functions with positions that do what you have indicated, so perhaps you will find yourself in a completely different part of the business doing EXACTLY what you want to be doing.

Tony Roig ⋅ Doylestown, PA Azzur IT ⋅ 30 years experience

I've been in HR for 20 years, mostly in Recruiting which is probably the easiest function in HR to break into. So you may want to consider Recruitment type openings so you get the experience and visibility you need to move into other areas. Also look at HR like occupations such as Admissions or Career Counseling at Colleges. Hope that helps.
Tony Roig

Paul Wilson ⋅ Atlantic City, NJ U.S. Marine Corps, Corporal ⋅ 4 years served

There is a web site called ONRAMP that is provide through the employment agency (pa, nj, and del. ) that will have what you need as while as counselors at the branches to further assist.

David Jackson ⋅ Midland, MI U.S. Army, Specialist ⋅ 3 years served

Be specific in your objective. "Military veteran seeking a position as a ,,,,,,,,,," The broader the job title the more you will receive offers that do not pertain to your skill or interest. But also be open to other offers that could lead you into a position that you would really excel in. But, whatever it is make sure that it will be something that you enjoy!!!! I have seen to many people that take jobs for the money and hate the job, and there is nothing worse than having to get up everyday and go to a job that you don't like, because even after a while the money won't matter. Let me know if I can be of any further help! (if I have been any help in the first place)

Sara Idle ⋅ Wayzata, MN Cargill ⋅ 10 years experience

Varneca,
Like Andrea, I would be happy to offer feedback/perspecitve on your expreience and how that may translate. I have been in HR for 12 years and have had a number of different roles. If you'd like, please feel free to email me, sara_idle@cargill.com.

Andrea Trent, SPHR-CA, SHRM-SCP ⋅ Seattle, WA HR Biz Partner ⋅ 17 years experience

Varneca,

I am an HR consultant having been in HR for about 14 years. I can take a look at your resume and see where you might have gaps in trying to get the right HR position. If interested, please contact me directly at andrea_trent@hrbizpartner.net.