Studying to Become a Human Resource Manager

Recently, we wrote about what you can do with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management, and today we’re going to explain how to launch a successful career as a training and development specialist.

This is an excellent job that involves helping an organization create training plans and programs to ensure that its employees can effectively complete their work duties, and it’s the perfect role for anyone interested in working with other people, especially in a teaching or training capacity.

In this post, we’ll explain why you might want to consider getting into the field, what you would do in this role, why it’s important that you get a degree before attempting to break into the industry, and what you can do to increase your odds of building a successful lifelong career in training and development.

After you’ve learned everything you need to know about how to launch your career in training and development, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about our 100% online Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management.

If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

Are Training and Development Really Good Career Options?

Yes, this is a great job and an excellent career opportunity for anyone interested in HR, but especially for people who enjoy helping others.

There are three main reasons to think about pursuing a career in training and development, including:

  1. Demand for training and development specialists is growing, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that employment will rise 8% between 2021 and 2031.
  2. Training and development specialists play a vital role in nearly every organization, ensuring that employees have the skills and abilities required to get their jobs done, which makes them critical to organizational success.
  3. Professional training and development specialists are relatively well paid, with the BLS reporting an average annual salary of $61,570 as of May 2021, and even higher salaries for those people who land leadership and management roles in the field.

If you enjoy working with others and you think it’d be fun to help teach, train, and manage training programs, then this could be the perfect career for you.

What do Training and Development Specialists Actually Do?

Training and development specialists are responsible for planning, creating, and managing the programs used to train an organization’s employees.

Virtually every industry needs training and development specialists, and while each organization will require slightly different responsibilities from their employees, here’s a list of some common tasks you may be asked to complete when serving in this role:

  • Researching the organization’s training and development requirements using interviews with managers and employees, surveys, focus groups, etc.
  • Designing, organizing, and managing the company’s onboarding process, initial orientation program, and all training assets and systems.
  • Creating training programs, courses, classes, and materials used for training new employees, advancing skills of existing employees, introducing employees to new systems, processes, etc.
  • Presenting training plans to management and key stakeholders, and delivering actual training materials to employees.
  • Overseeing training program results, including monitoring the success of training activities, results of tests, the effectiveness of the training itself, etc.

In short, working as a training and development specialist is an incredibly involved job that requires a great deal of attention to detail, expertise in training best practices and processes, as well as excellent people skills.

What Skills & Abilities are Needed to Become a Successful Training & Development Specialist?

Should you choose to pursue a career in this competitive industry, you’ll need to develop a series of skills and abilities, which may include:

  • Excellent communications skills, with the ability to communicate well via writing, speech, presentations, etc. 
  • Great presentation skills, as you may be asked to run all training and development sessions yourself, including lecturing directly, presenting programs and systems, etc.
  • Expertise with popular training platforms, systems, methods, and strategies, including modern learning best practices, technical systems, etc.
  • The ability to create effective training materials, including presentations, tests, and quizzes, written materials, lectures, etc.

None of these are simple or easy skills to master, and that’s just one of the many reasons why you should consider completing a B.S. in Human Resources before attempting to launch a career in this challenging field.

Studying HR in an academic setting will provide you with the opportunity to develop these critical skills, ensuring you’re capable of delivering real value to any organization from your first day on the job.

Do I Really Need a Degree to Become a Training and Development Specialist?

Yes, according to the BLS, entry-level jobs as a training and development specialist tend to require a Bachelor's degree, along with some work experience and strong communication skills.

If you’re serious about breaking into the industry, you do need to consider getting a degree in HR.

CSU Global’s online Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management is the perfect program for building the skills you’ll need to serve as an effective training and development specialist.

Not only will it provide you with the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities you need to be successful on the job, but earning your B.S. from a respected program like ours will also make you more marketable when you’re applying for available training and development positions.

What Will I Learn from an HR Management Program?

Whether you have experience in the industry, or you’re starting from scratch, our program was designed to set you up for success as a training and development specialist.

Via our program, you’ll learn to apply leadership principles for employee training and development purposes by studying topics like:

  • Building a collaborative and inclusive company culture.
  • Assessing HR strategies, programs, and initiatives used to motivate and develop employee resources.
  • Creating talent acquisition strategies to attract and then retain a competitive and successful workforce.
  • Managing organizational policy creation and implementation.
  • Maximizing employee performance.
  • Handling staffing, onboarding, and employee negotiations.

And if you decide that training and development isn’t for you, you won’t have to worry, because our program also provides an excellent foundation in general, traditional HR skills, including:

  • Business Policy
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Employee Law
  • Management of Team Dynamics
  • Professional Development
  • Training

As you can probably tell, our B.S. in HR Management is the perfect way to prepare for a successful career as a training and development specialist, since this program focuses on providing you with the skills you’ll need to be successful in the workplace.

What Can I Do to Increase My Chances of Success?

Completing your B.S. in Human Resource Management isn’t the only thing you can do to prepare for the challenging role of training and development specialist.

If you’re dead-set on achieving success in this industry, you might also want to consider furthering your education by completing a Master’s degree in a related subject, like CSU Global’s online Master’s program in HR Management.

Getting your master’s degree in HR will prepare you for more advanced roles in the field, including leadership and managerial-level positions.

To further advance your academic credentials, you might even want to consider completing some relevant certification programs, which will help further refine your skill sets, and provide you with additional ammunition for your resume.

According to BusinessNewsDaily.com, the top certifications for training and development specialists include:

  • ATD Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP)
  • HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
  • HRCI Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
  • SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)
  • SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)

Both of CSU Global’s HR Management programs offer curriculum that aligns with the SHRM Curriculum Guidebook and Templates, which could make it easier for you to complete the SHRM Certifications listed above after graduation. 

And to be clear, while you most likely will need a Bachelor’s degree to break into this industry and start working as a training and development specialist, you probably won’t need a master’s degree or any certifications for entry-level roles.

Should I Get My Degree Online? 

Regardless of what degree or credentials you choose to pursue, we suggest getting them online instead of in person.

Why? Because studying online is a far more efficient way to complete an academic program, especially since online learning tends to provide so much more flexibility and freedom than in-person programs.

Choosing to study online with us at CSU Global would mean that you get to enjoy several excellent benefits, including:

  • No requirements to show up at set times or in physical locations.
  • Monthly class starts.
  • Accelerated courses.

These benefits have proven to be especially helpful for students who already have busy lives, like existing work or family responsibilities. 

If you’re already leading a packed schedule, but you’re serious and dedicated about launching a career as a training and development specialist, then you should seriously consider studying online with us.

Why Should I Choose CSU Global?

Our 100% online Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Human Resource Management are both regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to launch a successful, lifelong career in training and development.

Each program is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs, and both programs feature a curriculum aligned with the Society for Human Resources Management HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates as well.

This means that your degree will provide you with everything you need to become an HR professional and that your degree will be respected by HR professionals, including hiring managers looking to source new HR experts.

Reasons to Choose our B.S. in Human Resource Management

This is the perfect program for developing the skills, abilities, and credentials you need to launch a career in training and development. 

Our online B.S. Degree in Human Resource Management has been rewarded with several top rankings, including:

87% of graduates from this program report working in HR, which is an extremely high rate of placement. Graduates also report earning an average salary increase of 26% four years after completing the program.

Reasons to Choose our M.S. in Human Resource Management

This program is ideal for anyone wanting to advance their career past entry-level positions in training and development.

Our online M.S. Degree in Human Resource Management has also won several excellent rankings, including:

  • A #2 ranking for Best Online Master’s in Human Resources from Online Course Report.
  • A #11 ranking for Best Online Master’s in Human Resources from Intelligent

Program alumni also report great results from the job market, including a median annual salary of $74,509 three years after earning their degree.

Furthermore, CSU Global itself is widely regarded as an industry leader in higher education, and we recently won several noteworthy awards, including:

  • A #16 ranking for Best Value Online Graduate School from Value Colleges.
  • A #3 ranking for Best Colleges in Colorado from Best Value Schools.
  • A Gold School of Distinction award from Best Colleges, making us one of only 15 schools to receive gold rankings, out of more than 2,000 online degree programs.

Finally, we offer affordable tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee which ensures that your rate won’t increase for as long as you remain enrolled as a student.

To get additional details about our fully-accredited online Degrees in Human Resource Management, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply now!