PHR

Well as most of you have heard, I passed the PHR yesterday. This is the Professional in Human Resource certification exam. Passing the exam does not mean that I am certified at this point, but after 2 years of exempt experience I will be. So why take it you ask? Well having passed the exam I can show to employers that I know my stuff and although I would eventually get into HR consulting, I am much more likely to find a job in HR to start out. It gives me that one step up that may help when I am paired against another job candidate with similar education/experience.

I finished and handed in my thesis on Wednesday, prior to that thesis was my number one priority and I didn't do anything but that. Then all of a sudden I had only 5 days before my test. Turns out the last thing I really wanted to do was study some more, so I didn't do a very good job focusing. I did manage to read 1 of the 6 books in the SHRM Learning System which was on labor laws and unions which we don't learn much about here (especially the union part). So I did that and took a bunch of practice tests. I usually scored a solid 60% on all the practices. I was prepared to fail.

I drove to the test site and got settled in to start my 225 multiple choice questions. I was feeling alright at first, but it wasn't long until I felt like I was guessing on almost every one. Then things got better and I knew every question. Then things went bad again and I just wanted it over. I would find myself reading the question over and over. The answer was many times obvious once I got myself focused again, but focusing was proving quite difficult.

Focusing was a challenge not only because of the 225 questions, but because of my surroundings. Nothing really bothered me at first, but by question 100, distraction was inevitable. The biggest distraction I had was a growing headache, but I managed to keep that at bay until the test was over, then unfortunately I had one of the worst headaches of my life (but not nearly as bad as those migraines I used to get in 1st grade). Anyway... to my right there was Movey McMoverson, to my left was Miss Coughsalot behind me to the right was Sir Typey Typetype and then behind me to the left was Mr. HolyCowThisTestIsHardIAmReallyStressedOutWhenWillThisBeOver.

I used up about 3 hours of my alloted 4 hours. I sat with all the questions done and contemplated whether it was worth it to go back through. I was feeling pretty confident that I had not passed and I didn't know if it was worth the bother of going back through and trying to remember information that I didn't really know. I decided that it is best to go with my instincts and I opted to submit my test. So I hit "end test" and waited.... then finally the "optional questionaire" popped up. I filled it out and clicked to the next screen. I waited patiently and cringed as the screen popped up. It took me a second to look over the screen and find the result and it said "Pass". My jaw dropped and I gasped (I may be known in someone else's blog as Gaspy McGasperson). I couldn't believe it. I would have been willing to bet money on me not having passed, and I would have lost money.

I left my computer and I handed my note paper back to the procter and said in a disbelief "I passed!' and he said "well thats what you came here to do, right?" So then he printed off my preliminary results report stamped it with the seal and I was on my merry way. And then I called mom.

I feel confident now that I have retained something from the last two years. And it is nice that all that studying for comps really did take care of two birds. Now, let's go do a job analysis!