The world of human resources is changing at a rapid pace. Companies are beginning to think more strategically about how they can align their people to achieve their overall business strategy. HR is no longer limited to handling employee complaints and administering benefits. Rather, it has evolved into the business of attracting, motivating and retaining top talent, and as the US shifts increasingly into a service-based economy (and, arguably, a brain-based economy), this is increasingly important.
When Clark asked me to write this piece for OwenBloggers, he admitted he still didn’t know what the acronym stood for, so let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. “HOP” stands for Human Organization and Performance, and the HOP concentration at Owen is among the top in the nation.
There are few schools that allow students to graduate with an MBA that includes a concentration in HR. Courses such as Strategic Alignment of Human Capital, Talent Sourcing & Acquisition, Compensation, Organization Design, and Leading Change are unique to the Owen MBA elective curriculum and are coveted by professionals in the HR industry.
To that point, an impressive list of companies maintain a relationship with Owen and come on campus every year specifically targeting the HOP students for summer internships and full-time employment. Companies such as Procter & Gamble, GE, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Bank of America, Amgen, Mars Petcare, Nissan, Dollar General, and Deloitte Consulting (among others) all come to campus in the fall to snatch up Owen HOPers early in the recruiting season. That’s right, the fall. We are usually the first of the first-years to receive internship offers, which makes the rest of the year a whole lot less pressure-packed.
I don’t mean to sound like the house organ, but I really couldn’t ask for better experience in my first year at Owen. After working in HR consulting for three years, I left my job to pursue my MBA and planned to ultimately make the switch to corporate HR. The combination of challenging professors and specialized classes offered to HOP students helped boost my HR skill set and made my career transition a smooth one. Most important, I consider the network of 2nd year HOP students my most valuable resource at Owen. I met with each of them to hear about their summer internship experiences, and they all volunteered their time to help me prep for my upcoming interviews. They showered me with personal tips and tricks for each interview. Our alumni base was also eager to help me learn more about their companies and to aide in my industry research.
And the results? By Thanksgiving I had a handful of interviews, and my summer internship was secured before I left for Winter Break!
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