Studying for the PHR Exam-Week 4

I am proud to say that I worked much harder in the past week on my studying to make up for my slacking on Part 1 the week before. I was able to get in all of the pages that I needed to cover the topic of workforce planning and employment fully. I feel much more confident than I did last week at this time, that's for sure. This is week four of my twelve week Professional in Human Resources Certification Exam preparation series (links to weeks one, two, and three can be found here or at my Associated Content page).

A New Resource

As you may know, I have been looking constantly for resources to help me study for the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification Exam. The PHR exam covers many topics, and no single study resource can prepare a test-taker completely; however, with the proper utilization of other study aids and supplements, a candidate can be better prepared than otherwise. It is with this philosophy that I search weekly for new places to get information. This week I have been enjoying my research at HR.BLR.

This website has some great ways for HR professionals to learn. There is a forum for asking questions of qualified human resource professionals. There is also a large library of articles on just about every conceivable HR topic. I have been receiving the daily and weekly emails from HR.BLR, and I have been learning a lot about current trends in human resource management, best practices in HR, and other valuable subject areas. This site is definitely worth a look if you're interested in human resources.

Just the Facts, Ma'am

I usually include a lot of information in this section of my weekly PHR study guide every week, but it's mainly a recap of last week, so I'll stick to the high points.

This week I studied Workforce Planning and Employment (Part 2 of 2). Workforce P&E makes up about 26% (more than 1/4!) of the total PHR exam weight. In the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) practice test, I scored a 74% on this section.

To see the focal points of this section, check last week's article (Workforce Planning and Employment-Part 1 of 2).

My Take on the Material

I spent the week reading from my old college human resources management textbook, since I used my study guide for last week. I read the following chapters: Equal Opportunity and the Law, Personnel Planning and Recruiting, Employee Testing and Selection, and Interviewing Candidates. It took me all the way through Sunday afternoon (with a bit of skimming the HRM textbook chapters) to finish, but at least I did!

I have a special interest in interviewing, and I think that might be the way I go if/when I ever get a job in the human resources field. For a long time, interviewing different HR professionals about their jobs has been an interest for me, and I really enjoy getting to listen to and analyze the responses. I've heard many successful people say, "If you want to be good at something, listen to someone who's already been there and done it." I believe that those words are great advice, whether you're talking about a human resource professional or a teacher.

33% Less Crazy (or 66% More?)

Well, I'm roughly 1/3 of the way through my PHR exam prep, and I am feeling much more confident than I was originally (I was questioning my own sanity at the beginning!). I'm hoping that this confidence will continue. I took a special class on labor and management relations in college, so I am hoping that I can perform reasonably well when I get to that portion of my studies. Labor relations is another of the large portions of the PHR exam.

However, next I will not be looking at material on labor relations. I will be studying the subject of Human Resource Development. The topic covers training and developing employees. I'm also interested in the training aspect of HR, so I may end up really enjoying this part of my PHR studies, too!

Note: I don't know how I did it, but I messed up the PHR study schedule in my first week's article. I skipped my first subject (Strategic Management)! I will still end up finishing in twelve weeks; I think I just accidently added another week on the end of my PHR study plan. Oh, well, it's going to end on the same date, no matter what!