Read on for a day in the life of an HR coordinator
Job Title: HR Coordinator
Industry: Public Relations
Location: Southern California
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Salary/Benefits: $45k. Should get a decent bump in a few months on my anniversary. Company contributes to some of the employee premium for medical and dental. Small 401k match.
Employer Type: Private company
Employer Size: 200+ employees
Time in Current Position: Almost 2 years
Highest Level of Education: Bachelor’s Degree
Path to This Job: Graduated college with a degree in Psych & Criminal Justice as I was looking to go to law school. After an internship at the public defender during undergrad, I felt unsure about the law school path- at least at that time. Did I want to go into $$$ debt for something I wasn’t 110% sure on? So after working as a nanny in undergrad and little “real” work experience, I grabbed the first job I could at a call center working in benefits after graduating. That along with approx. a year at an office job landed me in HR. I’ve chugged along for almost 2 years now, but it’s just not for me. I’m back on the law school track, studying for the LSAT and applying for 2019 admission. While the grass is never greener, I am not challenged by HR and always come back to my desire to work in the legal field. Now’s the time to make a change.
A typical day at work:
5:50: Snooze a few times then up with the pup and out for our morning walk. Boil water and grind coffee for french press, do my 4 minute make-up routine and get dressed. My typical breakfast is a hash I make in a big batch (sweet potatoes, ground sausage, bell peppers and onions) plus an over easy egg.
7:15: Off to work and eat while driving. Morning drive only takes about 10-15 minutes. Try to arrive at work by 7:30 (30 minutes early, since I take a long lunch to work out). Sip my coffee and dive into emails.
8:00-8:30: Usually have new hire orientation on Mondays. Each new hire gets their own orientation unless the same class of employees (interns, exempt, or hourly) start on the same day – this gets really old but it’s easy enough.
9:00-11:00: Work on EEO reporting and pull reporting for payroll due this week. I handle two payrolls so I’m always working on some aspect for the next pay period. Answer a few calls.
11:00: Audit and verify paperwork for remote employees (under our sister entity – anywhere from 50-200+ new hires weekly).
11:55: Change into workout clothes in the bathroom and drive to one of my favorite running spots. Rush home after 3.5 sweaty miles.
1:10ish: Take my dog out for a potty break, give her some hugs, take the world’s fastest shower and change back into work clothes. Make a smoothie bowl with lots of almond butter and paleo granola. Freshen my hair up with dry shampoo (my daily lifesaver) and try to avoid spilling my bowl. I squeeze so much into my lunch break that it’s always a rush – but I love working out at this time and can still make my dog a priority.
1:40-2:30: Review resumes and set up phone screens. Prep materials for one of our employee recognition programs.
2:30-4:00: Respond to UI claims and verification of employment forms. Our sister company operates in 48 states, making my pile of daily mail the least fun part of my job. Hoping the tax issues I’ve been cleaning up from a past employee are taken off my plate soon.
4:00-5:00: Check the clock every few minutes until freedom.
5:00-5:30: Sit in traffic for around 30 minutes and arrive home to my overly energetic dog. Take her out for a quick pee and feed her dinner. Head out for our long walk – she chooses our route with the biggest freaking hill, but hey it’s her favorite (#dogmomlife).
6:15: Home from our walk and chop veggies and chicken to cook on the stove for pot pie while I make the crust. The crust is basically Kerrygold and almond/tapioca flour – it doesn’t come out very pretty but it’s so damn good.
7:00-8:00: While the pot pie is in the oven I jump in the shower and change into pjs. Cuddles and show time with my pup on the couch while avoiding her trying to steal my food. Okay, I do give her a taste.
8:00-9:00: Get in some LSAT prep. I try my best to study at least 30 minutes a day, but often this gets left to the weekend when I’m exhausted after work.
9:00ish: In bed and lights out by 9:30.
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Photo by J. Kelly Brito on Unsplash