Job Hunting/Asking for Advice (school, offices, accreditation)

[jahall05]

Originally Posted by zip95

The first job is always the most difficult to get. You are probably going to have to pay your dues at smaller companies for a few years. For example, a small health care recruiting firm or some other such place. At my company, everyone in the HR dept has decades of experience... I would imagine a new college grad would have 0% chance of being hired. But you never know, you could get lucky.

Also, stay positive because eventually things are going to turn out fine. But be prepared because for 99% of white collar workers the first few years out of college is when capitalism punches you in the face. Many people expect the world to stand up and applaud their great achievement of graduating college, while 6 figure job offers come pouring in. That's not how it works... you're going to have to pay your dues and earn experience. Some degrees and some universities are better than others, but generally speaking it takes time. Good luck, and keep your head up!

But then again, I know nothing about the HR job market, so I could be wrong?

Yeah the first job is difficult to get. I am OK with working at a smaller company or starting at the very bottom of the rankings. A lot of people have college degrees, I don't need applauded for doing what a lot of others have done

I am not particularly concerned with money. I obviously want enough money to afford to live, but I am not looking to get rich (at least not right away ).

[jahall05]

What about a Master's Degree in IT? Would that be a bad move with the BSBA and no experience in IT?

[UKyank]

I would recommend applying to HR positions in other fields as well (Finance & Law are numerous here) as I think getting some experience under your belt is more important then being in any specific field - you can transition more easily into Healthcare once you have a more flushed out resume that includes working experience.

I would highly recommend against getting a MSW degree as many people with SW degrees & no job prospects seem to be prevalent here

[DaisyDaisy]

Originally Posted by UKyank

I would recommend applying to HR positions in other fields as well (Finance & Law are numerous here) as I think getting some experience under your belt is more important then being in any specific field - you can transition more easily into Healthcare once you have a more flushed out resume that includes working experience.

Agree.

Sometimes the entry-level HR jobs are on the recruiting side. Also look for business jobs outside of HR dept.

I'm only aware of an annual event in the fall but the Pittsburgh Human Resources Association may have some smaller events and other resources that may be of interest.

[WanderingHuman]

I think most get into UPMC cause they knew someone who worked there.
I won't invest in a masters, it won't ever pay off.
Maybe Volunteer and get to know people, that seems to
Be how it goes these days.
Yes, hang in there, you may have to work at something till
Something better comes along, keep positive and good luck

[jahall05]

Originally Posted by DaisyDaisy

Agree.

Sometimes the entry-level HR jobs are on the recruiting side. Also look for business jobs outside of HR dept.

I'm only aware of an annual event in the fall but the Pittsburgh Human Resources Association may have some smaller events and other resources that may be of interest.

Yeah. I have tried getting into some sort of administration position. I have applied for plenty of jobs that only specify a high school diploma. I think they view me as overqualified for those positions and under qualified for the ones that want a degree simply because they also want experience.

The issue is before the smaller companies were willing to take a risk on someone with no experience so then the bigger companies fed off of this pool of experienced candidates. Well it seems that even smaller companies aren't willing to take the risk anymore (not that I blame them).

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by jahall05

Yeah. I have tried getting into some sort of administration position. I have applied for plenty of jobs that only specify a high school diploma. I think they view me as overqualified for those positions and under qualified for the ones that want a degree simply because they also want experience.

The issue is before the smaller companies were willing to take a risk on someone with no experience so then the bigger companies fed off of this pool of experienced candidates. Well it seems that even smaller companies aren't willing to take the risk anymore (not that I blame them).

Try UPMC's temp service:
UPMC Staffing Partners
it's a way to get a foot in the door.

[mkfritts]

I am an MSW and LSW and have searched for jobs several times in Pittsburgh. There are a decent amount of jobs available for MSWs. However, when you are starting out, be prepared for jobs in the 30k range, even with a Masters (unless you work for a hospital as a hospital social worker, which is a near impossible job to land unless you know someone; they also don't usually look at you unless you have an LCSW, which takes 2 years working in the field to even apply for). If your goal is hospital administration and not direct client work, an MSW is NOT the route you want to go. Most MSWs work directly with people, not in administration. Yes there are MSWs in administrative jobs, but often they've put in 20+ years of experience to get there.

Just the opinion of an MSW working in the area I love social work and my job, but I'm under no delusions that I will make anywhere near the amount that an MBA could get me. If your goal is to have a salary of more than 30-35k starting out, this is not the profession for you. Great intrinsic benefits though

[jahall05]

Originally Posted by doo dah

Try UPMC's temp service:
UPMC Staffing Partners
it's a way to get a foot in the door.

That link is for medical offices looking for UPMC Staffing Partners to help them staff their offices. There is no way to contact Staffing Partners directly it appears.

Thank you though! I did see a staffing partners post looking for administrative assistants as temps to permanent.

[jahall05]

Originally Posted by mkfritts

I am an MSW and LSW and have searched for jobs several times in Pittsburgh. There are a decent amount of jobs available for MSWs. However, when you are starting out, be prepared for jobs in the 30k range, even with a Masters (unless you work for a hospital as a hospital social worker, which is a near impossible job to land unless you know someone; they also don't usually look at you unless you have an LCSW, which takes 2 years working in the field to even apply for). If your goal is hospital administration and not direct client work, an MSW is NOT the route you want to go. Most MSWs work directly with people, not in administration. Yes there are MSWs in administrative jobs, but often they've put in 20+ years of experience to get there.

Just the opinion of an MSW working in the area I love social work and my job, but I'm under no delusions that I will make anywhere near the amount that an MBA could get me. If your goal is to have a salary of more than 30-35k starting out, this is not the profession for you. Great intrinsic benefits though

That is my issue. I don't know for sure if I want to do administration, which is why I was hoping to gain experience in it before making any moves.

My ultimate goal is to work in healthcare whether it be administrative or clinical. However, most clinical positions require at minimum an associates degree in said field...with me already having a Bachelors it severely limits the funding I would get to go back to do another Bachelors or to do an Associates degree, so a Masters seems like a natural direction to go in, but I really want some sort of experience to help me solidify my decision. Maybe once I settle in somewhere I can get them to send me back for an associates or second bachelors for something else, but until then...