Recently I had a friend get the PHR certification. We were talking about the process and what she should do after she got the official “pass” notification from HRCI, and here’s what I suggested to her.

• Update email signature-some people see this as silly, but it’s one of those little details most of us overlook. Go ahead and declare your certification and be proud of it!
• Notify your manager-let your manager know that you officially got the “pass” and what that means for you. If you discussed a raise after getting certified, this is the time to bring it up. If not, start thinking about how you can make the case for one (what do you know now that will make you better at your job and worth more money?)
• Update your LinkedIn profile-get your shiny new PHR/SPHR/GPHR label out there for the world to see. Sometimes if you don’t update things right away you forget to do them!
• Update your resume-take a few minutes to update your resume to be sure that it reflects your certification–small updates here and there make it easier to manage your resume over time.
• Get started on recertification.

What else should someone do after they complete their certification?