Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/213549
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF HUMAN RESOURCES STORY BY TODD HUMBER HR is a respected, strategic profession with a huge impact on operations THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE AN HR PROFESSIONAL. That may sound cliché, but it's true — and that's great news for students thinking about a career in human resources or those about to graduate and start their careers. Human resources has changed by leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades, evolving from a transactional job that people "kind of fell into" to a respected, strategic profession with huge input at the boardroom table. One of my favourite HR stories involves Jack Welch, the legendary former CEO of General Electric (GE). In an interview with Canadian HR Reporter, he had this to say about the importance of HR professionals: "If you were running a sports team, who would you want to be talking to every day — the team accountant or the head of player personnel? The head of player personnel because you want to win. What's different about that in business? Money is a product of a team's success. If you have great success with your people, you make a lot of money." That sums up the state of HR today perfectly, and underscores why it's such a great profession to pursue. We planned this publication — HRP: The HR Profession in Canada — with three distinct groups in mind: • students thinking about a career in HR • students about to graduate from college or university and start their careers in HR • HR professionals looking for professional development opportunities to take their careers to the next level. In these pages, you'll find out what a typical day is like in the life of an HR professional, how to network (a critical skill well worth developing) and why you should consider joining an HR association. Plus, we also reveal what you can expect to earn. We've also profiled Jaci Edgeworth, the head of HR at Lululemon, to give you an idea of what it takes to get into the top job at a major organization. And don't forget about the great listings of HR associations and HR designations at the back of the magazine. At Canadian HR Reporter, our mandate is to provide independent, timely, relevant and trusted news, information, case studies and features to human resource and business professionals across the country. We'll be with you every step of your career. /TODD HUMBER is the managing editor of Canadian HR Reporter, the national journal of human resource management. He can be reached at todd.humber@ thomsonreuters.com or visit www.hrreporter.com for more information. canadian hr profession 4 hrreporter.com HRP.indd 4 12-03-26 11:25 AM