Julie Gee, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is currently the Human Resources Manager at Astronics LSI. She is a current BNHRA member and earned her SHRM-SCP certification in 2023. Congrats Julie! As the current Certification Director serving on the BNHRA Board of Directors, I wanted to talk to Julie about her certification journey and share it with other HR pros. I question I frequently get is, “I’m interested in getting certified. What’s the right way to go about it?” That is such a broad question because everyone’s experiences are different. You can check out my certification journey on my blog here. Read on below to see what Julie did and what worked for her!
How did she decide to go for an HR certification?
Julie had a background as an instructor and working in academia. She was pivoting into the HR field and felt that getting a certification would help employers understand what skill set she brings to the table because she wasn’t a typical candidate applying for HR jobs. After getting her first certification through HRCI, she very much felt that was the case. Getting her certification helped her bridge the gap and immediately improved her job search and the responses back she got.
Which certifications did she choose and when/why?
Julie originally earned her PHR through HRCI in 2015. (SHRM had just started offering their own exams in 2014, and they were not widely known or understood by employers.) She quickly realized she should have just gone for the SPHR. She originally thought that since she didn’t have the past formal HR job titles, she wouldn’t qualify for the SPHR exam. However, she actually did have the knowledge and years of experience for registering for the SPHR exam. (On the HRCI website they list the minimum time you need to have in various roles and other qualifications for each of their exams) After passing the PHR, she registered right away for the SPHR exam during the next testing window, and earned her SPHR within 6 months after earning her PHR. Since she had recently come out of an academic program, she was still used to studying and knew a lot about HR from school that could be applied to the exam. Her biggest lesson learned here, and what she’d like to share with you, is to apply for the exam that you want to do. Let them tell you no if they review and feel you don’t meet the qualifications, but don’t count yourself out early!
How did she study for the PHR?
Julie did the HRCI prep class through the Canisius College Center for Professional Development. Unfortunately, this class is no longer offered locally in Buffalo. I also took this prep course in the spring of 2016 and passed my PHR in March of 2016. (If I recall correctly, the prep class was 10-12 weeks. I took that prep course as well as studied individually outside of the weekly sessions, and found that 12 weeks/3 months to study was a good amount of time in order to pass.) It was fun that Julie and I had this in common and could talk about our experience. During the prep class, Julie formed a study group with ~5 other folks. They helped each other and quizzed each other along the way as they studied and prepared to take the exam. She told me that people in the study group would continue to come to the group meetings even after they passed, to continue to support the other people who hadn’t taken it yet. I absolutely loved hearing about this, because this is the true magic of the #HRCommunity. Helping and showing up for each other! Getting certified is a big commitment. Time away from family, friends, other responsibilities, etc, so it was really nice to have friendship, support and accountability.
Now, let’s get to the SHRM-SCP part of Julie’s certification journey. In 2023, Julie was feeling up for a challenge and wanted to see if she could pass the SHRM-SCP exam, based on what she remembered from her SPHR exam. She did not take a course or spend time studying like she did for her PHR. She wanted to challenge herself and see if she had retained the knowledge and also wanted to put her knowledge to the test that she had acquired from working in the HR field since 2016. She had heard that the SHRM exam was more based on situational questions, using your best judgment questions, and life experience, so she felt now would be a good time to take it. (I also found the SHRM exam to be more situational and application questions, and the PHR to be more memorization.) She also decided against the test insurance – she wanted to bet on herself! Julie found the SPHR and SHRM-SCP exams to be pretty similar. Her work experience, especially in labor and employee relations, helped her answer the situational questions.
What did she learn?
Julie enjoyed learning a lot about the historical federal laws. As HR Pros in New York, we get wrapped up in NYS laws because it’s.. a lot! She learned about the names of laws and what that law actually required, the year and context of why and how that law came to be. This has really helped her in her career as an HR Manager because she continually does compliance related searches as part of her day to day job, and this knowledge gives you a starting point when you have a compliance issue or investigation.
I was curious if Julie found getting certified to be rewarding. Let’s hear what she had to say!
She liked school, and likes learning, stretching herself and getting better. When studying for the PHR, it was rewarding to see her score improving with each practice test she took. The studying and testing process was enjoyable for its own sake because you are taking the time to invest in yourself! She found where her weak areas were and where to focus and make improvements.
“In HR, sometimes we are just surviving and keeping the lights on” Julie said. Keeping payroll rolling week to week. We don’t step back sometimes to say this is the direction I want to go in my career, or how can I invest in myself? Through the studying process, you learn a lot about various areas within HR – technology, compensation, benefits, recruiting, training, labor relations, etc. You will gain insight into what areas you may not want to work in. You could also find your passion through studying all the different areas and find what excites you about HR!
Any other advice for those considering HR certification?
Julie still has good friends today that she met through the HRCI study course. They really pulled each other along. Julie recommends having a study group or study buddy to quiz each other. (Do what works best for you. Me personally, (Claire) I did not enjoy studying in groups. I did all of my studying individually and I passed both the PHR and SHRM-CP exams.) A main benefit for Julie of the study group was that each person in the group had different strengths and life experiences, therefore certain members of the group could explain things to each other. Each person played a role since each of us excels in different areas.
The hardest part for Julie was finding the time to prepare. She felt that going for her PHR was an act of self-care. She invested in herself, developed herself, and gave herself that time and space. We are all trying to manage family, kids, pets, and it can feel radical to carve out time away to study for an exam. Ask the people in your life to support you as you prepare.
Julie left me with – GO FOR IT! What is the worst that could happen? You study and take it again. You can only grow and learn, there is nothing to lose.
Thank you Julie for your time to speak with me and help out the #HRCommunity thinking about going for HR certification!
Claire is Coaching 