Careers, Outcomes & Salaries

Human resources concerns the total activity of an organization, business, or firm as these activities relate to the work force. Such activities include employment and labor laws and regulations, arbitration and dispute resolution, collective bargaining, compensation and benefits, performance incentives and employee rating, labor turnover, the physically handicapped in the labor force, and human resource development.

Some recent graduates have been employed in the following positions:

Study in human resources leads to professional careers in business, governmental agencies, and labor unions. In business, opportunities are available in labor relations and in personnel or human resources management. Both union and nonunion settings offer opportunities for employment. Labor relations includes collective bargaining, grievance processing, arbitration, and mediation. Personnel or human resources management includes generalist positions in which the objective is the recruitment, development, and retention of a qualified and satisfied workforce and specialist positions to handle areas such as compensation, employee benefits, health and safety, education and training, and affirmative action. Similar positions in the management of labor relations and personnel are available in both government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Other career opportunities exist in specialized federal and state agencies which administer labor relations, equal opportunity, and similar laws regulating the employment relationship. Employment with labor unions is commonly found in their research and education departments.

Career opportunities have been, and are projected to continue to be, very promising. The field has experienced considerable employment expansion in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue.

In addition, the major serves as an excellent preparation for graduate study in personnel and industrial relations as well as for law school. It is particularly helpful as a pre-law major because several courses, like Human Resources Law and Dispute Settlement specifically deal with legal issues as their major focus.

Career Assistance

The Williams College of Business at Xavier gives you the chance to test your skills in the real world through its cooperative education program. And once you graduate, the center for career and leadership development works closely with students to assist them in finding appropriate positions in which to utilize their knowledge to work after graduation.