What can you do with a human resource management degree?

Undertaking a degree in human resource management will deepen your understanding around recruiting, motivating, enhancing and supporting people within the context of the workplace. You will also develop the following abilities:

Studying human resource management at the University of Plymouth will open a wide range of career choices for you. The knowledge and skills you will have acquired for dealing with hiring, training, motivating and supporting people in the workplace, are needed to some degree by almost every organisation in every sector. Roles that directly fulfil these important organisational requirements include Human Resources Officer, Office Manager or Training and Development Officer.

You may however wish to explore other pathways that will make use of a more specific knowledge and skills set you have developed. Dispute resolution for example, particularly in an employment context but not limited to this, could see you fulfil Arbitrator or Mediator roles within several sectors. If supporting and motivating others is a driver for you, then working for a Trade Union, or becoming a Life Coach or a Careers Adviser could be an option. Conversely, your knowledge around people management could be used to fulfil the role of a Recruitment Consultant, Talent Agent or Management Consultant, to support organisations in sourcing appropriate talent and getting the best out of their workforce.

Since specific career paths may be less obvious it is important to use your research skills to explore the range of opportunities and to consider your personal interests, motivations, values and strengths. Also, don’t forget that some employers will accept applications from graduates with a degree in any subject.

It is also worth investigating what further study options the University has to offer as you may find the perfect course for yourself in an institution you already know. There are also sometimes financial benefits of staying on such as a fee discount to Alumni – find out your funding options.

Accessing support from the Careers Service couldn’t be easier, come along to the Careers Service Helpdesk in the Student Hub
or access the 24/7 online resources .

Workshops are delivered by the Careers Service, however they are also an opportunity to learn from your peers, share experiences and ask questions. Visit myCareer to see the full range of activities and to book your place.

Build your network and job sector knowledge using LinkedIn's alumni tool. This will allow you to see the career journeys of graduates from your programme, the qualifications they completed, the skills they developed and employers they worked for. You can then ‘connect’ with people of interest:

For more information about the alumni tool select the LinkedIn alumni tool guide. If you are looking for help to set up or learn how to make the most of your LinkedIn profile, select the LinkedIn guide for students or come to one of our workshops.

You will want to acquire experiences that develop your interpersonal skills. The University of Plymouth Students’ Union offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities that could see you support/guide/teach/coach people in the local community. You should embrace any opportunities to take on positions of responsibility, particularly where you can supervise or manage people. Working part time around your studies could be a way to achieve this. You will want to expose yourself to organisational policies and procedures, training and development, or observing disciplinary and grievance procedures. You could apply for a placement year or approach organisations directly to negotiate short periods of work experience. Some organisations offer paid internships over the summer or of one year’s duration.

You may choose to join a society that is specifically linked to your degree or take the opportunity to explore the huge range of clubs, societies and sports, all of which can help you to broaden your horizons and explore new interests.