Within companies, HR positions generally fall into one of two categories: generalist and specialist.
Generalists support employees directly with their questions, grievances, and work on a range of projects
within the organization. They "may handle all aspects of human resources work, and thus require an
extensive range of knowledge. The responsibilities of human resources generalists can vary widely,
depending on their employer's needs."[17] Specialists, conversely, work in a specific HR function. Some
practitioners will spend an entire career as either a generalist or a specialist while others will obtain
experiences from each and choose a path later. Being an HR manager consistently ranks as one of the
best jobs, with a #4 ranking by CNN Money in 2006 and a #20 ranking by the same organization in 2009,
due to its pay, personal satisfaction, job security, future growth, and benefit to society.