I need advice! HR is my calling! I love the work I do! I have been with my current company for 18 months and am part of a small HR team. I have expressed on numerous occasions my desire to learn more to my boss. I have offered to work and do whatever it takes to get more responsibilities/exposure to all things HR. My performance reviews have been excellent! I have spoken to him about pursuing a graduate degree or earning my PHR. He recently changed my job title, but I haven't really gained anything. I feel unchallenged and am losing interest in this company. What more can I do? He told me that the new position is just that, new. That he needs time to figure out just what this new job/title involves. My fear is that he is just stringing me along.He discourages me from obtaining any further education. I don't get it! He has told me how much he appreciates my energy and enthusiasm for my work. WHAT MORE CAN I DO? Any advice would be much appreciated! Thank you! I would also like to mention that I have approached him several times with ideas for improvement (in the few areas of responsibility that I have). I get good feedback and he tells me that he likes my forward thinking. But then makes excuses for reasons we can't implement the changes right now. Am I missing something? I KNOW my quality of work is excellent, I am fully engaged in anything I am asked to do. I feel that I am everything an employer could want... and more! The rest of my team have been there for several years and spend most of their time complaining about their jobs and pay. HELP!

How big is the company? How many departments?

It is somewhat small, but growing fast. At our corporate office we have 7 large departments and as of today we have about 900 employees total.

What is your new job description -- what are you supposedly responsible for?

I assist with benefit administration and with worker's comp claims and other administrative duties. I get the things to do that no one wants to do, I was asked to pull staples out of a stack of paperwork. :( As far as things I "own", this includes processing/tracking and follow up with employee reviews for ALL employees and I am responsible for employee involvement within the communities in which we operate.The assisting is sparingly and as needed. I absolutely appreciate the opportunity to assist, I just want more. I believe I have more to offer than data entry and scanning documents. I spent a lot of money, time and energy earning a college degree and didn't do it to pull staples. I am someone who always wants more, is always looking for ways to improve and MUST do work that is meaningful. I am willing to work my way up, however, I have to know that it is going somewhere or I lose interest. Maybe I am expecting too much too fast? I should mention that I attended college later in life, I have several years management experience (I LOVED the people side of things, that's why I pursued HR) and let's face it, I am not getting any younger. I just know that this type of work is what I am meant to do, I believe it is a passion that was placed in my heart. I need an outsider's point of view. Thank you so much for your questions, they are making me think. :)

I get jobs that no one wants to do. They keep you stuck there because no one else wants to do it. They knowvthey will have anext to impossible time replacing you. Then if they do the person very likely won't be as efficient.

900 employees where you are, or overall? How many in HR?
Two things: If the others start to resent you for being promoted, they might quit or make demands. It's possible that your employer cares more about that then about your eagerness and good ideas.
Second, the fact that the rest complain about their pay without leaving suggests that he knows that he can get away with the status quo.
Taken in the context of the whole picture, I would say that like with countless jobs, going above and beyond is upsetting the apple cart.
You've been there over a year, long enough to look good on your resume. Start looking. And take those courses. Why even ask (unless they help fund them)?
I used to send away for any IRS and Dept of Labor publications I might need running a one person office where I did everything. Now you can get them online.