How Do I Go into Personnel Administration?

To go into personnel administration, you will most likely need a high school diploma or a General Educational Development® (GED®) diploma, but many employers prefer to hire candidates with bachelor's degrees. In some cases, however, human resource certification may prove acceptable in addition to or instead of a bachelor's degree. Most employers will also require a range of skills for this job, including communication, leadership, computer, and math skills.

The level of education required to go into personnel administration may vary based on the particular job you seek and the employer with which you apply. In most cases, however, employers require job candidates to have a high school education or a GED® and either require or prefer candidates to have four-year college degrees. A bachelor's degree in business administration, human resource management, or organizational development can often prove a good choice for a person seeking this position, but degrees in related subjects may prove acceptable as well. Additionally, some employers may prove willing to hire you with a human resources certification, especially if you also have related experience.

No matter what your educational background, you will likely need experience to go into personnel administration. The type and length of experience you need will likely depend on the job you seek, but experience in a human resource position is often desired. Other types of experience that may prove helpful when you are pursuing a personnel administration career include customer service, sales, and office administration experience. If you have experience with training others, this may prove helpful as well. Generally, the more related experience you have, the better your chances of landing the personnel administration job you want.

There's also a range of skills you will likely need if you want to go into personnel administration. Among them are good organizational skills and the ability to pay close attention to detail. For this type of job, an employer will also expect you to understand the company's mission and goals, so that you can help ensure its employees are meeting them. Likewise, analytical ability and problem-solving, leadership, and interpersonal skills are important for this job.

Employers generally will expect you to have computer skills and an air of professionalism as well. As far as professionalism is concerned, an employer may expect you to maintain a professional appearance and manner at all times. You will likely also need computer skills that involve using database and spreadsheet programs. Mathematical ability may prove important as well.