Issue: September 2011 by Carrie Williams in Human Resources, Inside The Magazine
Any professional knows that your career starts by having the right background. Possessing a resume full of previous experience is a must. Whether you list unpaid volunteer work at your local nonprofit or a salaried position at a big firm, the key is to showcase that you know what it takes to be fully immersed in a specific line of work.
But, another huge addition to any resume is a certification. A step beyond a degree and even on-the-job experience, the appearance of a professional certificate can show a prospective employer that you are self-motivated and dedicated to learning all there is to know.
Human Resources specialists are realizing just how much further that added line to a resume can take them. By pursuing one of the three available certifications under the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI), career-savvy individuals are taking their futures to the next level.
According to the HRCI website, the possession of a certification in HR ?is a career-long commitment that shows your peers, your employees and your organization that you have mastered the core HR principles and that you are dedicated to staying current in your profession.?
For anyone looking to make it in the world of HR, this type of credential has become almost a prerequisite. According to published statistics, one out of every two managers will likely pass over a resume that doesn?t include it as a listed bullet.
Shirley Bates, Director of Human Resources for Lynchburg College, is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She has found that the additional abbreviation to her title adds weight to her position.
?Receiving certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources provides a formal credibility factor that attests to my knowledge, education and experience in the human resources profession,? she explained. ?I have found this distinction to be invaluable as I work with other professionals within the organization and also in dealing with outside contacts in the business community.?
Alison Dowdy, Senior Compensation Analyst for Harris Corporation, simply stated that her experiences while studying and testing for the program helped her learn the ins and outs of HR. Besides real-time experience, HR workers will be hard-pressed to find anything that prepares them more for a job then emersion in a certification program.
So, how does someone go about adding this powerful credit to his or her name? The first step is to decide how much of a certification you want to achieve. There are three different levels, which allow an HR professional the flexibility to dictate their level of involvement in the program.
The first tier, with the least amount of requirements, is the Professional in Human Resources (PHR). This level is usually for HR employees who focus on departmental tasks rather then the overall company itself. Work experience for the typical PHR certified professional is often around two to four years and is not on the senior management level.
Next is the SPHR, which Bates holds. This designates those who have ultimate responsibility over a collective HR department. These professionals are the ones who use their judgment and extensive past experience in HR functions to influence the ?big picture? of a company.
Lastly, the Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) is someone that has demonstrated active HR-specific involvement beyond our national borders. This type of professional is one that has their hands in a company?s long-term goals, designing organization-wide programs and developing strategic plans that achieve worldwide results.
In addition to these three levels, the certification program also includes a level specific to California law. HR staff members working within the state are able to pursue becoming either a PHR-CA or an SPHR-CA in addition to their PHR or SPHR credentials.
Like all tiered certification levels, each of the groups listed above come with specific eligibility requirements. In a nutshell, someone interested in becoming a PHR needs at least two years of HR experience in addition to a Bachelor?s degree, an SPHR is required to have at least five years of experience with a Bachelor?s degree and a GPHR needs three years of HR experience (two of which being global) with a Bachelor?s degree.
The years of experience decrease or increase if you hold a Master?s degree or if you have less then a Bachelor?s degree. For full eligibility requirements, go to the HRCI Web site?www.hrci.org. The deadline to apply for the 2011 winter exam period is October 7th.
The bottom line is that explaining your dedication to becoming an HR professional to a manager or colleague doesn?t carry as much weight as it might have in the past. The thing that?s going to put you above the competition is being able to show that you have taken the necessary steps to build a solid foundation of knowledge and a rounded comprehension of the field.
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