Self-Assessment

Do You Have What It Takes to Work in HR?

Instructions: Read each statement and circle yes or no.

Yes No 1. I have leadership and management skills I have developed

through prior job experiences, extracurricular activities,

community service, or other noncourse activities.

Yes No 2. I have excellent communications, dispute resolution, and

interpersonal skills.
Yes No 3. I can demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals

of running a business and making a profit.

Yes No 4. I can use spreadsheets and the World Wide Web, and I

am familiar with information systems technology.

Yes No 5. I can work effectively with people of different cultural

backgrounds.
Yes No 6. I have expertise in more than one area of human resource

management.

Scoring: The greater the number of yes answers, the better prepared you are to work in
an HR department. For questions you answered no, you should seek courses and
experiences to change your answer to yes—and better prepare yourself for a career in
HR!

Source: Based on B.E. Kaufman, “What Companies Want from HR Graduates,” HR

Magazine, September 1994.