Experience matters

It’s a big week in my house – we are taking Avery to college.  The time has come.  We have been preparing for this moment for 18 years.  There are a lot of emotions swirling around right now, but ultimately, we are so proud of her and so excited for this next step in her life.  She will be attending Arizona State University majoring in Business Sustainability. 

As we have navigated the college selection process over the past couple of years, one point I have stressed to my daughter repeatedly is that the education piece is just one part of the career puzzle.  What you do while you’re in college means the most.  Experience matters.  If you go to college, have too much fun, and just skate by to graduate – is it worth it?  If you are going to go, do the work.  And focus on the experiences that aid the education to prepare for the world of work. 

I am not a recruiter, but when I have done recruiting work, especially when building my own teams, I go right to the experience section of a resume.  If I see military service, I am definitely intrigued.  Education is usually the last thing I look at and even then, I am looking for involvement and experiences over the name of the institution.  There is a reason why many states and jurisdictions are mandating job postings remove education requirements.  It is important to keep perspective with regard to education. 

As it pertains to my industry, I feel that we have to have this conversation yet again.  I have run into several situations over the past few weeks that make me think this way. 

HR is an experience game.

No book, class or certification taught me what to do when an employee came to work drunk for the first time.  Or when an employee brought bed bugs to work.  Or when a business owner issued over-the-counter drug tests to his employees.  These are things I had to learn on the job.

I was fortunate to start my career surrounded by peers with 10, 15, 20 years of experience.  I learned more from them than anything else.  They had been there and done that.  They shared stories with me and explained their thinking as we worked through situations together.  It was an amazing way to start my HR career. 

If you are a practitioner or seeking to become one, my best advice is to focus on experience.  Talk to those who have come before you for guidance.  Ask a lot of questions.  Soak it all in.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help as you go.  I have HR friends who have been in the game longer than I have who call regularly to talk through situations.  Sometimes you just need a second opinion.  Better safe than sorry – I am seeing too many organizations at risk due to poor practices by their designated HR representatives. 

Business owners – HR is a specialty.  If you believe ‘anyone can do HR,’ you don’t get it.  Please seek out an experienced professional before you wind up in court. 

I’ll say it again – HR is an experience game. 

Go Sun Devils!  Forks up!