HR Career Paths and Training
The field of federal human capital management offers a variety of career paths, each with its own set of responsibilities, skills, and growth opportunities. A career path is a strategic roadmap that outlines potential sequences of jobs, roles, experiences, and training that an individual can pursue to achieve their long-term career goals.
Whether you’re interested in recruitment, workforce relations, learning and development, compensation and benefits, data analytics, or strategic leadership, there is a role in human capital management that aligns with your career goals and interests.
A new federal HR career path model is being developed and will be released soon.
Career paths can assist you in completing your individual development plan (IDP) in order to achieve your personal and professional development goals. Employees and supervisors work in partnership on an IDP to set expectations for learning objectives and competencies as well as specific training strategies or courses to build those capabilities.
Career paths can also help you evaluate whether job opportunities will offer the necessary growth and development to support your long-term career goals. For HR practitioners, the journey to having a fulfilling and successful career in the HR profession is made up of smaller steps moving closer towards your desired career goals. Here are questions to ask yourself as you consider your next career move:
1. What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
Identify your career goals now as well as where you see yourself many years from now. Do you want to become a specialist in a specific HR area of expertise, or would you like to be a generalist with knowledge of many different areas? What are the core requirements in being selected for the future job, position, or level that you want? Does the work align to your core values? Does it support your lifestyle choices, such as adequate compensation, location stability or opportunity to move/travel?
2. What skills are you using in your current position?
Evaluate the work you do in your current position. What are your strengths and most marketable skills? What experience and education do you have that already aligns to your desired goal?
3. What gaps exist between your current position/skills and your desired career goals?
Conduct a skills gap assessment. Identify whether you are missing skills, experience, and/or training you may need in the future. This could include further advancement of the skills you already have by increasing your level of expertise in a specific subject matter area.
4. What skills should you further develop and/or gain to best prepare for your next career goal?
From the gaps you’ve identified, prioritize which you feel are most valuable to pursue in achieving your goals in the short and long term. Keep in mind that some job opportunities may not warrant high skill proficiency, but rather having an entry level of knowledge in a specific area.
5. What methods are available for you to develop these skills?
Develop a plan to gain these skills. Do not limit your path to only one option or opportunity. Consider multiple ways you can gain experience and/or training to strengthen the areas you want to develop. This could include moving laterally in your career journey before moving up. It could even include moving down to master a skill at a lower grade. Don’t dismiss a potential path until you consider both pros and cons of each option you’ve identified.
6. What is your timeline for your next career goal?
Establish your timelines. What are your reasonable expectations to gain the skills/experience you need and be in the position you desire? What are the constraints in your timeline, such as balancing family milestones or other personal goals?
The Human Resources Management Competency and Parenthetical-Specific Competency Models outline the essential general and technical competencies required to work in human resources management within the federal government. The competency model serves as a framework for HR professionals to enhance their effectiveness, increase the likelihood of advancing their careers, and contribute to the overall success and efficiency of federal agency operations and the federal workforce.
The models also detail the competencies needed for most of the human resources specialty areas within the 0201 Human Resources Management occupational series such as recruitment and placement, employee relations, information systems, and performance management. General competencies reflect the cognitive and social capabilities that are often transferrable to a variety of occupations and include competencies such as problem-solving, customer service, oral and written communication, and decision-making. Technical competencies are more specialized to particular knowledge and skill requirements for the career field. In the field of federal human resources management these competencies include knowledge of human resources, data analysis, and legal, government and jurisprudence.
To learn more about the competencies that are suggested for your specialty area and grade level, review the HR Management Competency Model.
Training and professional development are essential for HR professionals at all career stages. Through learning and development plans, including both classroom and on-the-job training, HR professionals can build competencies in their work role and support career growth.
Each career stage—early career, mid-career, and advanced—has distinct needs and objectives:
- Early career HR professionals benefit from foundational HR knowledge, including training on HR functions, legal compliance, and core skills such as communication and customer service. They also need technical skills that align with their work role and duties. Mentorship and networking opportunities are also crucial to gain a deeper understanding of human resources practices and the federal work environment as well as to develop connections within the agency and with their peers.
- Mid-career HR professionals should focus on building more advanced skills and specialized knowledge in their field. At this stage, professionals may want to look into leadership development programs to learn how to drive change and build the supervisory skills to manage teams. Many professionals also attend industry conferences and join membership associations to stay current with trends and expand professional networks.
- Advanced HR professionals often build on their reserve of professional competencies by focusing on strategic and executive leadership to drive organizational change and decision-making. Learning to leverage these skills is often complemented by participating in coaching and mentoring programs both to hone their individual skillsets and to share what they have learned to guide other HR professionals.
HR professionals benefit from a variety of learning approaches including Self-Directed Learning, Formal Training, Collaborative Learning, and On-the-Job Development Activities.
- Self-Directed Learning includes independently exploring topics related to your role. This type of learning includes reviewing regulations, policies, and standard operating procedures, reading books, conducting research, analyzing data or information, investigating resolution of a particular task/challenge, keeping up with latest trends, and exploring tips, learning about best practices, and discovering new areas of interest.
- Formal Training includes attending a class, earning a degree, or participating in a structured developmental program resulting in a certificate or a certification. In these approaches, the content, course materials, and exercises have been designed to achieve defined goals and objectives determined by the instructor or organization that offers the training.
- Collaborative Learning involves engaging with peers, colleagues, a mentor, professional organizations, communities of practice to exchange ideas, solve problems, and achieve shared learning goals. Collaborative learning includes participation in professional organizations or communities of practice, shadowing, and mentoring.
- On-the-Job Development Activities can include participating in special projects, stretch assignments, directed on-the-job training, or rotation details. Your current role, specialization, experience level, and career goals are important considerations when determining which assignments would complement your developmental goals.