I had many years' experience in what is now called human resources. As a reservist and while on active Navy duty, I was a Chief Personnelman. Most of my duties were managing personnel services in a Navy Carrier Air Group organization. It included 1,500 enlisted and officers in three aircraft squadrons and a headquarters unit. My group was activated for a year of wartime service in the Pacific aboard an aircraft carrier. After returning from sea duty, I spent several more years training Navy recruits and service school attendees in personnel services.

First, let me say I've always hated the description change in my field from personnel to human resources. My wise-guy remark about it always is: if you have human resources, then you also need a department of animal resources. However, who am I, an old retired personnel specialist and instructor, to gripe about progress in obscuring descriptions of professions? After all, a janitor is now a maintenance engineer, and a housewife is now a family resources specialist.

In spite of my personal differences with the job description name, I'm sure the basic educational requirements have changed little through the years. If I were just starting out now as a high school senior or first-year college student, and wanted to pursue a career in human resources management, I'd seek a schedule that would lead to a bachelor's degree in management or one of the other business sciences.

If high grades and tuition budget warrant it, a highly-motivated student should attempt to be accepted by one of the colleges with the best programs in the profession. Of course, not many students can get into the very top business schools, such as at Harvard, Princeton, Penn or Pepperdine, but there are hundreds of other colleges and universities with excellent business programs. With the help of parents, teachers and high school advisors, as well as the internet, it is never too early for students to explore all the possibilities.

It is important to consider that earning a business degree in the personnel ...ooops, human resources ... profession should start in high school. There are many opportunities for the young student to get experience in working with people, such as managing a school sports team, managing the staff of the school newspaper and serving as a class officer or junior leader in Scouting and other extracurricular activities.

Although plans beyond earning a bachelor's degree probably wouldn't be yet formed in the ambitious minds of most students just starting college, there should be some beginnings of serious thoughts about continuing the education process to earn a master's degree. An MBA makes a job applicant stand out among all others in the highly-competitive world of business and personnel ... ooops .... human resources management.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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