Masters in Human Resources vs Masters in Social Work

NovaLynnx
Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:09:38 +0000

I have an undergraduate degree in psychology and I’m currently working as a human resources manager. I think working in the social services field is more likely to lead to burnout, unless you work your way up into a managerial position and do less hands-on counseling and services. HR management is geared more towards business of course, and is more about keeping things legal, organized, and justified.

I think HR is less likely to lead to burnout, which may mean you’re less likely to change your career path later in life. However, I think social work would be more rewarding depending on your personality. I do find HR very rewarding at the store-level (where I’m at now, interacting with the employees face-to-face daily), but at the corporate level it’s mostly e-mail, phone calls, and a whole lot of paperwork - with very little, if any, face-to-face interaction with employees. This will differ depending on the industry you work in and how large the company is.

HR managers are likely to have a higher start rate than social workers, but is very competitive. HR generalists tend to do very well in salary and advancement opportunities. Some make lateral moves into other areas of business management, while others move up to HR district or regional managers or directors.

From the HR generalists and regional managers I’ve known, I don’t think any had a masters degree. Most had bachelors degrees in I/O psychology or business (some had degrees in geography and other oddball subjects). They started low in the chain as HR assistants or leads, and worked their way up. This isn’t to say a masters degree wouldn’t give you an edge - it might start you a little further up the ladder and give you more options on where you want to work.

I guess I’m a little biased toward HR since I work in that field, the pay is decent, and there are a lot of opportunities for advancement and making moves into other areas of business. Social work is a great career path as well, but a little uncertain in regards to whether the advanced degree is worth the cost.