A recent conversation I had with someone about aPHR Certification and why it’s helpful in career building on LinkedIn took place recently. One of her comments was “my fear is that obtaining an HR certification will not be enough. The job search process is so subjective.”
True. But there’s a little more to it than that.
It’s like a car. Sure you could drive without a rear view mirror, but it would make the driving process a lot more complicated. All things on your professional resume work in concert to create the brand of “YOU”. A certification alone won’t cut it, but your education, experience, a certification, and networking will create the right environment (on paper) for you to land better opportunities in HR.
There isn’t a “one-size fits all” approach to breaking into HR or growing your HR career. Investing in yourself up front and along the way is the best approach. If you could stand to have a better resume consider hiring a resume writer. If you suck at interviews or would like to create a solid job search strategy consider hiring a career coach. If you’re seeking to build up the chassis of your career, then aPHR Certification should be among your upgrades.
Those certification letters behind your name tell a potential employer that you’re going above and beyond the necessary requirements, you’re investing in YOU. Remember also that the interview process is a two-way street. You should be interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. If you’re willing to invest in you, are they?
Sana’ Rasul is the President & Chief Girlfriend of HR Girlfriends, a Human Resources networking organization dedicated to advancing the practice and culture of people empowerment. Her team of Girlfriends consult, train, educate, develop, share, promote and advocate for solutions in the field of human resource management. Sana’ is also a credentialed Career Strategist, at TheCareerHelpDesk.com, where she has helped professionals across all industries create a next level career plan, negotiate compensation and develop strategies to land the job, not just the interview.
