Category Archives: Back to School

Back to School

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Awhile back I mentioned that I enrolled for an online HR class that I’m taking in preparation to get my PHR certification. Well, I’ve been “in-class” for a full two weeks and have found that what’s the hardest part is just making time to study and review material. My lunchtime is now filled with reading chapters from my book and preparing my discussion answers. I’m glad that JP has class twice during the week because that gives me time to really get a ton of reading in without feeling like I’d rather be lazy (which I still feel like, only it’s less intense).

I feel my eyes crossing during my readings, but other than that, I seem to be ok with all of the reading materials and discussion points so far. I even got a “good job” on my first discussion submission, so that feels great! My first test was interesting … there were only 14 question, each worth 10 points. I felt like they could have gone either way in terms of the answer, and I did get three questions wrong. Garbage! But scored in the “top” of my class with a 78%. We are taking an online class, I do not understand why people do not use their books to help them learn the material!

Have you started on any personal goals for the new year yet? I hope 2012 is off to a bang! We’re officially in spring!

Nervous Excitement

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Have you ever had a pang of nervous excitement that rattles you from the inside out? A feeling that you’re really unsure what to do with because you could throw up from fear of failure, yet scream and jump in joy at the idea of overcoming an accomplishment? Yes. It’s quite a feeling.

Feeling inspired by JP’s return to school, I’ve decided to use 2012 to invest in myself and to work on my education, specifically within the field of HR. I kinda fell into HR and found a career/industry that I adore. Because I actually have a degree in English-Writing, I sometimes am a little insecure about my skills or actual expertise in the field and I yearn for a more rounded out exposure to Human Resources, in general, since my past 4.5 years of experience is specifically in Recruitment/Talent Acquisition.

I incorporated this investment into my 2012 Wishlist and splurged on a 12 week online course through a major university which not only provides an HR Professional certificate but also helps to prepare you for the PHR/SPHR exam through SHRM. My books came today and they’re wonderfully rainbow color-coded (it’s a sign) and I’m kinda stuck in that “I can’t wait to begin!” mode. I know it’s going to be hard work and I’m so nervous to take the actual exam as I heard it’s a doozy (not to mention not so kind on the wallet). Class starts March 5th! Let the HR Games begin! :)

#backtoschool #HR  #SHRMPrep

Saying Goodbye to $1,300

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As one of my biggest goals for 2012 is to gear up and invest in my education and field of industry career-wise I’ve aimed to take an HR certificate program to help prepare for the PHR exam (which is an HR certification exam). My Bachelor’s degree is in English. I had lofty dreams of being a reporter for a glossy magazine, or even “slumming” it in a musky newsroom for a no-name newspaper. But when I was getting ready to jump into the job market, I snapped back into reality and realized that although my dream was to write, I would not be able to sustain my lifestyle (without heavily investing in Ramen noodles) by being a writer. An average of $17,000 per year in annual salary was just not going to be acceptable when I was leaving school with $40,000+ debt.

So I jumped headfirst into the world of retail management mainly because that’s what I knew and I had a the personality fit for it at the age of 22. After a few years in retail management, I tried to look for a job that had better hours because my sleep was all wacky and I was completely exhausted. Maybe that’s where all of my sleep issues come from. I started targeting entry level jobs at the company I currently work for and applied for multiple positions! I was delighted when I was called in for an initial interview for a grant writing opportunity on our company’s healthcare side but was dismayed when I was placed in a 5 person panel interview for what felt like a very bland job opportunity where I would be the youngest on the team by at least 25 years. Needless to say, I passed on that role. A few weeks later I was called in for an entry-level opportunity in our Talent Acquisition division and the rest is history!

I learned over the past 4 years that I really enjoy HR. It was never an industry I really ever gave much thought to but once immersed in the industry and gaining experience through HR projects and additional exposure to other areas within this field, I have realized that this is what I truly like to do (outside of writing). The best part is that I can still use my writing skills within this role as HR’s core is communication; communicating company strengths through recruitment, communicating company policy through employee relations, communicating new and innovative systems or procedures through talent development, etc. I can still write my little heart out!

This year I want to focus on rounding out my knowledge of the HR field. With my degree in English-Writing and my 4 years in Talent Acquisition, I still do not feel that I fully grasp concepts of all areas of HR: employment law, compensation, benefit administration, training and development. I’m eager to learn as I grow my skills within this field. So for 2012 I’ve set my sights on developing my skills in the HR field and by doing so have enrolled in a HR certificate program which helps with prepping for the PHR and SPHR exams. This morning I signed up for a 12 week course online (since I cannot physically attend class … slacker) so it’s completely up to me to study and participate in my group work/discussions and make sure that I’m prepared for this class. Yes, I kissed $1,300 goodbye to pay for this educational experience. BUT! I paid it off in full … yes, in cash…no debt! So that’s pretty awesome.

source: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/gabby4you/3

I’m nervous/excited! I think with all this excitement of JP getting into her nursing program (yes, she was accepted!!) that I feel that this is something I want to invest in myself also. We’ll see. I’ll keep you updated on the progress of my 12 weeks of back  to school when my class officially kicks off on March 5th! Wish me luck!