The profession of an HR manager presented
Kragujevac: Kragujevac Job info centre held in its premises a workshop for secondary school students who were able to learn firsthand about the profession of an HR manager. Namely, Nikola and Milica, employees working in the human resources department of Yanfeng company in Kragujevac, told them about their professional pathways and work experience.
Information for good decisions
A group of students from the First Technical School, Secondary Vocational School, and First Kragujevac Grammar School had their first encounter with HR professionals.
Ana Stanojević, a student of the Secondary Vocational School, said that it was the first time that she attended the presentation of a profession with the speakers coming from a large company and that she was happy that she was able to ask questions. She is receiving education to become a road traffic technician and would like to work in the police. She said that the workshops like this one helps her ‘verify’ her plans.
Her friend from school Aleksandra Nedeljković came to the workshop to get some new experience:
“I want to get new information and insights so as to be able to more easily decide on my career path.”
Lenka Milosavljević, a final-year student of the special class for biology and chemistry in the First Kragujevac Grammar School wants to study psychology.
“Today I would like to get a different insight into this profession considering there are many psychologists among HR managers”, Lenka said.
“This is the first time I take part in the talks like this one. I am interested in hearing what an HR expert does. I would like to see whether it all is of interest for me and whether that should be the focus in my future career. I know that HR is about people and I find it interesting”, grammar school student Teodora Mladenović said. She is in the final year of department for natural sciences and mathematic.
Jelisaveta Kovačevic from the First Grammar School takes an interest in management and economy:
“I came to gather information about the HR in general. I have never before worked in this kind of workshops. I was therefore interested to see what they are all about.”
What the HR do
HR or human resources department mostly focus on the employment process. That is a short definition of this department that was given by Nikola Arsenijević from Yanfeng.
He said that recruitment, selection, and search for new potential employees are very important activities for Yanfeng company which is a global supplier of automotive industry parts.
“HR, however, is not only about the employment process. They implement a number of other processes such as training of staff, following of trends, standards, etc. Automotive industry is very demanding. It is necessary for this sector that good and competent staff are available at all times”, Nikola said at his encounter with secondary school students.
He added that HR also engage in the calculation of salaries, employment-legal paperwork, employment contracts. They take care of the employees, trainings and education.
Nikola said that a part of the HR is the influer branding, namely the activity relating to the promotion of a company as a desirable employer, via social networks.
“Therefore, in HR there is room even for a person who intends to get involved in marketing”, Nikola explained.
Firsthand advice
Yangfeng HR professionals gave to the secondary school students valuable advice about the career choice making by telling them the story of their own experience.
“I got into this company, as the saying goes, through the back door. I first began as a trainer. Then I started developing my career as an administrator, assistant, a specialist. And now I arrived to the human resources department”, Milica Grbović Stanojević said. She has graduated English language and literature and intends to work as a teacher of a translator.
The choice she made was the right one considering that, as she said, she finds it nice, dynamical, and interesting in the HR.
“I am a good example that the career pathway is not set in stone. Rather, you can start doing one job and then later decide to change your profession” Nikola Arsenijević said.
He has graduated the Faculty of Economics expecting to become a banking officer, but he started his career as a customs analyst. However, he did not ‘find himself’ before he got into the HR.
Nikola’s message for young people was not to choose their profession based on thinking how much money they will be earning.
“Do not look at things only from the perspective of money. When you are choosing your job, make sure you stay yourself”, Milica added.
They told young people that it is more important to have a job which makes them happy and content than to have money.
Nikola and Milica are in agreement that a diploma is “just an entry ticket” for the job and they should be prepared for lifelong learning. They stressed that even after people acquire formal education, they still need to learn, acquire new knowledge and develop their skills. Their list includes, among other things, working on acquiring communication skills, analytical skills, adaptability, time management skills, teamwork, negotiation skills, creativity, leadership skills, etc.
Bearing in mind the fact that the HR read CVs of the candidates applying for the job, one of the advices for students related to the CV.
“When writing your CV, you need to be honest, include key words. You do not need to write extensively”, Milica said.
Nikola added that employers also have a high regard for taking initiative and gave an example of his HR department which has recently employed a young woman who herself chose to enter a two-week traineeship in Yanfeng company.
Text and photo: Gordana Mirović / Edited by: Sandra Vlatković
