Archive for May 2010

Preparing for PHR, SPHR, GPHR Certification?

Mon, May 17, 2010 at 10:04 pm Posted in HRCI Certification, Jaazle Blogger 0 Comments

By Lori S. Goldsmith, SPHR, GPHR

My role as a volunteer with the HR Certification Institute means that I can’t share actual questions with you; however, I can share some of my favorite study tips while on the run.  Speaking of on the run, did you know SHRM’s 2010 Learning System has gone mobile, too?  For actual retired questions, http://www.hrci.org/assessmentexam/

If you are an auditory learner, listen to your pdf materials. Visual learners, work with flash cards in your spare moments.  The exams are not trivia tests.  Stay focused on key concepts.  Don’t try to memorize, only a small percentage of the exam is knowledge based.  If you are really crunched for time, focus on key terms.  To make sound decisions, you must know what the question is asking and understand the meaning of the choices. The exam is experiential, draw on your life experiences.

Take as many quizzes as you can.  Don’t panic if you fail miserably.  Don’t get over confident if you are acing everything.  Neither is an indication of how you will do on test day.

Most importantly, plan to pass.  Treat your exam preparation the same way you plan strategically in your business.  Do an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses and plan study time accordingly.  Make sure your study plan fits in with your lifestyle.  Write your plan down.  If you have to deviate, you know where you left off and what you have to do to get back on track. If you are taking a class or participating in a study group, come to class prepared to intelligently discuss the assignment.  If you can talk about it or write about it in your own words, you will be in a much better position on test day. One encounter with the study material is not enough for long term learning, make sure your plan includes spaced reviews.

Already PHR, SPHR, or GPHR certified, what are your favorite tips?

How Will an Employer Recognize Your Value (at the Interview) When You Don’t Even Know?

Sat, May 1, 2010 at 10:55 am Posted in Interview, Jaazle Blogger, Job Search 1 Comment

By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

[This week's lecture was Interviewing.  Students were instructed to respond to their most difficult interview question.  I share this encounter because it reflects the plight of many a job seeker.]

I think my most difficult interview question will be….

Several answers came across as long balls knocked right out of the park.  Still many responses to this question missed the target.  Focus was off.  Responses too literal.  Souls were bared leaving themselves completely unconnected to the position being sought [Tell me about yourself].    Responses were self-absorbing from a personal view not linked to company needs.  Probably the candidate put themselves in a hole from the opening question.  Their response may have resulted in being dropped from the selection process right away.
Do not give the employer reasons to eliminate you.  The employer obviously saw something of value if you are being interviewed.  Everybody has skills, value and talent.  It may be paid – it may not.  You might have been a volunteer.  You might be a stay at home parent.  Successful Interviewing is being able to demonstrate you can do the job.  Interviewing is a good time to forget what you what from the employer.  Huge salary, health benefits, vacation, paid schooling – it matters not.  Who cares? Not the employer. What you want makes no difference unless you are offered the position.  My suggestion is to find the nearest wastebasket and dump into it everything that you seek from an employer.  An effective interview is being able to focus on employers’ needs and demonstrate how you can fix the hole they are trying to plug.  you must be demonstrate you can hit the ground quickly.  Only when they offer you the position should you pull all of your wants from the wastebasket in order to state what you seek.  The time to negotiate is when you are offered the position.  What you want prior is irrelevant.
Success at an interview comes quickest when you provide clear examples to support your initial responses to the interview questions.  Job seekers who respond to an interview question by stating only “yes” will not be remembered as well as the candidate who states, ”Yes. At my last position I saved the company from having to reprint a 5,000 unit clerical error.”  Or, “Yes, for the past three years, I handled the annual awards banquet which served 1,500 attendees flawlessly. I was the volunteer coordinator of the program.”  It is responses like this that move you up at the interview.
Do not go into an interview without being aware of which skills are being sought.  Visualize the position.  Recognize how you fit.  You may not have worked as a cashier (or an analyst) but you certainly have errorless math skills and can make change without errors, or maybe your logic is unique and insightful and you have a unique ability to analyze and reason reaching decisive conclusions.  Another example is you may not have worked in an office however you are great on a computer, skilled on several software applications and am particularly good working with difficult people.  See?  There are lots of abilities, skills and talents you may possess.  Think about it for a minute. Can you speak and write well (Communication skills)? Did you enjoy digging deep into your assignments (research skills)?

How will an employer recognize your value if you cannot?  Your key to achieving interviewing success is to identify what you offer an employer and be able to match or connect those values conclusively to the position you seek.  In short, it is not always the candidate with the best talent that is selected but rather the individual that communicates their skills the most effectively.