I have more free HR flashcards to give away!

Read on to learn how you can get in the drawing for this prize valued at $25.

The Scoop

I’m offering the Rock the PHR eBook for only $14.97 for a limited time. All you have to do is use the discount code flashcard to get the lower price. (The package has has multiple bonuses that more than double the value of the guide.) Continue Reading »

The new version of the Rock the PHR guide is going live today at 6:00 p.m. Central. I’ve been pushing it hard in the past few weeks, but that’s only because I think it’s really going to help people with their own exams. I’ve bumped the price since the initial release, but some people have told me that it’s still cheap (especially now that it comes with a private forum/chat room, a 50-question practice exam, and more).

For the first 10 buyers, I’m going to throw in a special bonus report that will not be available to the public. You won’t want to miss it.

If you’re already certified, or if you think that it’s not for you, it wouldn’t hurt to pass it along to someone who could benefit. Thanks for playing along. Look for another “regular” post on Wednesday.

Here’s the link to the Rock the PHR page (I’ll turn off the redirect around 6:00 p.m. Central or a maybe a bit before then).

The guide received two reviews in its first revision. Feel free to check them out here and here.

Hello, everyone! I have some exciting news to share. Rock the PHR study guide will be relaunching on January 4th, and this time it will be bigger, better, and the bonuses will most definitely rock. I’ve been working feverishly on this thing, and I can’t wait to see how it goes. The original guide has been around since August 2009, and it has helped dozens of people in their PHR and SPHR studies. Despite a really crappy sales page and a relatively soft launch the first go ’round, it has performed admirably. Now that I’ve worked out some of the kinks, it’s time to really cut loose. Some of the cool stuff this time around…

Email Newsletter

I’ve set up an email newsletter. Anyone is free to sign up. It has tips and advice for preparing for, studying for, and taking the exam. The best part about getting on the list is being able to get the early bird discount. The link to the discount won’t be public, so if you’re even remotely interested, get the newsletter. And pass it along to a friend if you think they may want to take the exam next year.

Bonuses

[Deep and booming biblical voice] In the beginning, there were bonuses. And they were good. There are three sweet bonus items included in the Rock the PHR package. I’ll elaborate on them later, but they include a practice exam, special study tips, and a private forum. The value is just dripping off of these things.

Affiliates

In an effort to bring more joy to the world [seasonal humor!], I’ve created an affiliate program for the guide. If you are interested, you just sign up, send the link to anyone (or post it on your website if you have one), and if they make a purchase, then you get a sweet bonus. If that sounds cool, just check this page for more information. Please email me if you have questions or want more info.

List (again)

Again… The link to join the email list is here. If you think you might take the exam in 2010 or 2011, why not sign up ahead of time? You can save all of the emails and have your own stockpile of great study tips before your exam even gets close. Plus you might learn something to help you with your daily job. Huh, imagine that.

More info as the launch gets closer, and be sure to get on the email list if you want to get the special early bird pricing. Let’s kick off 2010′s professional development with a bang, shall we?

Update 11/14: Eric has won the free PHR practice exam for giving the best comment. Good luck to everyone who commented!

Just a quick reminder to everyone out there contemplating the PHR or SPHR exam—the test window is closing on November 13th. If you miss the deadline, you will have to wait until mid-2010 to take the exam. I can tell the final registration date is closing in, because I’ve received more than a dozen emails from people looking for support, encouragement, direction, or resources.

Everyone knows that the best PHR study guide was developed right here, but everyone might not know about the free bonus exam that goes along with it (thanks to April for helping!).

I’ve decided to give away a free copy of the 50 question PHR practice exam.

I want to hear from people who have taken or who plan to take the exam. Why in the world did you study your tail off just to have the opportunity to add a few letters after your name? Was it for a promotion? Did you want a new job? I’d like to know the motivations behind your attempt at the PHR or SPHR exam. There’s a free 50 question practice exam in it for the best answer I get by November 13th! And remember, the deadline from HRCI is November 13th, so sign up if you plan to take the test.

Every so often, I try to give some sort of mass update here, because people often ask what I’m working on, why I’m taking forever to reply to their emails, or what my favorite type of cookie is (probably chocolate chip brownie pillows). Anyway, here’s the stuff that you do and don’t want to know about my current level of insanity.

1. The last time I posted on the goings-on, I was gently reminded by a few of my friends out there that it looks like I’m not taking enough time for family. I just don’t usually bore people with that kind of thing. I live a fairly boring life outside of my jobs. But to satisfy those familial cravings, just check out #10 and #11.
2. At the urging of a friend, I have started writing three times a week on this blog ( Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). This is a change from my normal “whenever” posting. It’s interesting to try to fit to a schedule, but it’s also a lot of fun, too.
3. With sales doing about as well as I had hoped, I have been working to finish the second Rock the PHR bonus item. It’s actually 99% complete, and I have started to outline the third (and probably last) bonus giveaway. For only $14.99, this thing is a steal if you’re planning to take the HR certification exam.
4. I’m writing a post every Monday for the RocketHR blog. I’m trying to make it more beginner-friendly, and I’m hoping that it will be a stepping stone for my local HR professionals into the world of social media.
5. In a recent post, I went over some of what I’m doing with the local SHRM chapter’s student group. I was one of those youngsters not too long ago, and I am looking forward to helping them with all of the wisdom I’ve accumulated (i.e. not much).
6. Along with my designer, I am revamping my company’s website. It’s going to be more user-friendly, searchable, and better aligned to our organizational goals. It’s been a fun experience so far.
7. My online antics never cease, because I have also started working with another local SHRM chapter to help them set up a Website. (If your local chapter doesn’t have a Website but wants something, shoot me an email. I might be able to help.)
8. Secret project with Stephen from HR Gumbo. I’m waaay slower than he is at times.
9. I’ve been working on a half marathon training plan with the race scheduled in November. Should be a lot of fun. Haven’t done a long race since the Dizzy Fifties 50k a few years ago.
10. My wife is amazing, and I’ve been working with her as a coach to help her prepare for a local 5k. She is going to do amazingly well. I tried to promote it to my coworkers, but with less than 5 days to race day, my wife and I are the only ones who have signed up for our team!
11. Not sure how many of you know about it, but we’re adopting. And this thing has been going very slow in recent weeks with lots of work and extracurricular activities. But we’ve finally finished most of the preparation work for the home study, and we’re getting ready for our adoption.
12. HRevolution planning is going well, and we are gearing up for the big day. It’s about three weeks away, but I can remember when it was three months away, and that blows my mind. We have a few sponsor slots left (last time I checked), and if anyone’s looking to put $25o or $500 toward a good cause, you might be able to secure one of the final slots.
13. My loads of spare time are spent building my business and helping others do the same. I’ve been talking with 4-5 people about getting their own products/services out there on the market, and it’s amazingly fun for me.

I’m sure I’m missing a lot of other things that are going on. The Diet Mountain Dew is flowing cold and fast these days, and I’m hoping to keep up the amazing work that I’m allowed to do on a daily basis. Look for another “real” post on Friday, assuming I can keep up with the schedule I just committed to.

This test looks interesting

I took the PHR exam this past January. It was a tough experience, but I also enjoyed knowing that it would solidify my grasp of the basic theoretic principles of HR. I didn’t yet have the requisite two years of exempt level HR experience necessary to take the exam, but I was able to take it under the “Recent Graduate” exemption that HRCI provides. From HRCI:

Students and recent graduates enrolled in a bachelor’s or graduate degree program may take the PHR and GPHR exams at an initial registration rate of US$120. Passing students and recent graduates must pay the balance of the exam fee once they have graduated and documented two years of exempt-level (professional) HR work experience. They have five years from the date of passing the exam to obtain the two years of exempt-level (professional) HR work experience.
Student/recent graduate candidates are not eligible to take the SPHR certification exam. Student/recent graduate  candidates must take the exam no earlier than 12 months before their graduation date and no later than 12 months after graduation from a bachelor’s or graduate degree program.

Recently, I learned that HRCI is going to be dropping the Recent Graduate exemption. In fact, the certification requirements are changing in multiple ways by 2011. I still haven’t made up my mind yet about how I feel on the changes, but here is what HRCI says:

Pros

There are several reasons for these changes. The biggest one that I can think of is that they want the exams to be more meaningful. If some “upstart” can take the exam after college and pass without any exempt level HR experience, then that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re as qualified as someone who has years of HR experience before deciding to take  the exam. And if I was one of those experienced pros who decided to get certified, it would probably bother me to know that there’s someone in the next booth with none of my experience taking the same certification exam.

Cons

On the flip side, what about that student/recent grad? If they pay the fee, put in the hours of study time, and complete the exam, then why can’t they be rewarded for those efforts? If they choose (as I did) to try to put themselves into a better position in a promotion or hiring situation, why should they be kept from that opportunity?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of the decision to change the requirements.

Anyway, if you happen to be one of those people with less than two years of experience, then you should seriously consider taking the PHR exam while you still have the opportunity. In fact, if you are in that group and you’d like to shoot me an email, I’ll give you a discount on the Rock the PHR guide to help you get started.