The Secret To Succeeding In HR Is Not Majoring In HR

This question originally appeared on Quora: What are important things for people intending to major in human resources to know about?

Answer by Sarah Smith, VP, HR & User Operations, on Quora

I would suggest not majoring in human resources but instead major in business, economics, philosophy, or psychology.

I’ve been formally in a direct HR role for 2.5 years and can safely say that the most important skills you need to be successful in HR are general people skills and good judgment. Beyond those skills, the next important thing you need is a great employment lawyer to work with you who has a deep understanding of state and federal employment laws.

In most HR jobs, you will be helping a company to attract and retain great people who align with the company values. You’ll also be in a role to help enforce those norms, coach/advise management, and manage employee performance. You’ll also likely oversee selection and administration of benefits and be responsible for mandated documentation.

The best preparation for most of this is to be a manager yourself, managing and growing a team or business. It’s helpful if you have an interest in philosophy, law, or economics because you may be in a position to create precedents and policies as well as interpret laws or guidelines.

Finally, it would be helpful for you to build an understanding of compensation systems as well as standard benefits (health insurance, paid time off, sick leave, family leaves, disability leaves, 401k, relocation, immigration, bonuses, and so on depending on your industry).

If you have your heart set on majoring in human resources, please aim to get into a people management role as soon as you can, even if it’s a leadership role in a school club or better yet, managing part-time employees in a retail or restaurant setting. I’d argue that real management experience will teach you more than most HR core courses.

forbes.com