Considering PHR/SPHR Certification? Good Idea.
Why continue your education? As a current college student I can appreciate the importance of higher education. Yes, some days and some exams make me want to give up, but I know all of my hard work will be worth it when I receive a diploma. In today’s world, a degree or a certification shows commitment to your peers, employees and organization and your dedication to your profession.
HR certifications show that you have mastered the core HR principles that drive your profession. Earning an HR Certification can set you apart in many ways, including:
- Making your resume stand out. One out of two recruiters prefer those with HR certifications.
- Recognition from your organization: HR certified professionals are viewed as more self-motivated by business leaders
- Networking opportunities: this certification connects you to an elite network of motivated HR professionals; more than 120,000 certified HR professionals in over 70 countries and territories
HR certification differs from a certificate program because it requires experience and education. It also requires recertification every three years to make sure you stay current in the profession and gives you a designation that becomes part of your professional identity.
One type of HR certification is the Professional in Human Resources. The PHR is designed for the HR professional who:
- Has tactical/logistical orientation
- Focuses on program implementation
- Is accountable for another HR professional within the organization
- Typically has two to four years of professional (exempt-level) work experience in all HR disciplines, but whose experience lacks the depth of a more senior-level HR practitioner
Another type of HR certification is the Senior Professional in Human Resources. The SPHR is designed for the type of HR practitioner who:
- Designs and plans, rather than implements HR policy
- Focuses on the “big picture”
- Has ultimate accountability in the HR department
- Typically has six to eight years of progressive and increasingly complicated HR experience
This month, on June 21, 2012 Dovetail Software is hosting a webinar: The Eubanks Review: Preparing for the PHR/SPHR Exam 101. This webinar will cover the details on the process of signing up, preparing for, and taking the exam. Ben Eubanks, founder of the popular Rock the PHR Study Guide , will be collaborating with Dwane Lay, Dovetail Software’s head of HR Process Design for the first session of a 3-part webinar series on everything you need to know for getting your PHR/SPHR certification.
Eubanks is a prominent and influential HR blogger who has been writing for three years on topics ranging from HR, to leadership, to zombies and pirates. Eubanks started his blog when he realized no one was representing the young HR pro. Eubanks has since built a community around his blog, written an eBook on HR certification and co-founded the HR unconference HRevolution.
Join the HR experts Dwane Lay and Ben Eubanks for the first part in this three-session webinar on Thursday, June 21, 2012 from 1:30-2:00 p.m. Register for this webinar here.
