You know your HR manager as an individual who might have contacted you for a job opportunity at your present company, an individual who gives you a pile of paperwork to fill out, and an individual who takes an exit interview.

As such, many employees feel like avoiding the HR department is the best path to success—stay off their radar and all will be good.

But, did you know that there’s a lot of career help available in your HR department? Your HR manager may not specialize in your job, but he/she is a specialist in helping with careers and can help you with your problems at your workplace.

Here are eight reasons why you might want to stop by your HR manager’s office today.

Reimbursing for your certificates

A lot of companies in India offer to pay for a course that their employees are seeking. Especially if the certification is something that helps the company directly.

Go and knock on your HR’s door and enquire if your company provides such perks.

But make sure you ask reimbursement for the right certificate. If you’re in sales, asking your company to pay for certification in Music Theory won’t fly.

But, if you want to ask reimbursement for Salesforce certification then there’s a good chance your company would approve it.

Helping resolves issues with your manager

Not every manager is awesome. And not every awesome manager is awesome for every employee. Whether you’ve got a manager who constantly scolds you or a micro-managing freak, your HR manager can help.

Also, don’t complain about your manager directly, as it can result in unwanted negative outcomes. Instead, you can simply ask what you can do to make the situation better.

You can say something like “Karan and I seem to clash a lot. Can you give me some tips on how to get along better?”

Making your performance rating right

Was your last performance appraisal accurate? Now, most of the time, HR is going to side with your manager. But, if you feel there was a genuine mistake in your rating, talk to HR.

Your HR manager will look over your review and compare it with your peers and your prior reviews. If she feels there is a case, she’ll talk with your manager.

Also, make sure you prepare a doc that clearly states evidence of your good performance, not just a complaint that the review is not fair.

Helping in making your Resume

This may seem counter-intuitive: Your HR department doesn’t want you to leave and leaving is the only reason why you might need your resume up to date.

But you may need a polished resume for applying to a graduate school. Ask your HR manager to help you with refining your resume.

Additionally, if you are laid off, sometimes your former HR department will provide help with your resume. All you have to do is Ask!

Finding a new opportunity at your workplace

Your company won’t succeed if there aren’t good employees, and good employees want to move forward in their careers.

For example, when the senior leadership team says, “we need someone to do X,” if you’ve told her that’s something you’re interested in, your name is more likely to come up.

Addressing your personal problems with the company

If you’re drowning in a sea of debt or facing harassment in your workplace then your HR manager can help direct your problems towards the senior leadership in the company.

Many times companies may come forward and help their employees both financially and solidifying positive changes by establishing a culture of respect.

Giving you leaves for a medical emergency

Speak to HR if you or your family members have health problems. It is obvious that you may take some days off to take care of yourself and your family members.

But if you start missing work and don’t convey anything to your manager, you could get fired for ignoring attendance policies.

You can always come to your HR manager and fill out the paperwork for legal protection.

Don’t assume your manager will automatically know the reason for your staying away from work and automatically qualifies you for protection.

Remember, these laws often protect your family members as well—if you need time to take care of a seriously ill family member.

P.S. Your HR can easily assign you leaves through the Kredily platform.

Coaching on managerial skills

If you manage employees, your career success depends on their career success. If you want help knowing how to manage without being dominating, how to discipline reasonably, and how to get the best results from your team, head to your HR manager.

Your HR manager may provide coaching to managers directly, or she may refer you to a management class or consultant.

While HR will always have paperwork for you to fill out, don’t forget that they are there to help the company succeed. That means HR knows that individual employees also need to succeed. Have a chat and see if they can help you in your career and