The huge mountain that was applying and passing the SPHR exam is behind me. It's official! Now comes another mountain, and this one may be just as big: recertifying.
Wait, didn't I just get that certification? What am I talking about recertification?
See, this certification lasts for 3 years, at which point it will expire unless you recertify. There are 2 ways to recertify: taking the $525 exam again (bahahaha--no!), or obtaining 60 "credits hours" for continuous education/training/leadership. I opt for the latter option. But here are some things I didn't know about...
- You have to pay to recertify. That used to be $100 up til 2012 (or up to 2013?), but it is $150 for 2014. By the time I need to recertify in 2016, it may be higher. Boo hoo!
- The credits can be webcasts, which are a bit scarce, but free. However, only 20 of the total credits can be obtained from webcasts per recertification process
- The other 40 credits will cost ya. And depending where you go, they may cost you a lot. I have seen a lot of programs where they charge $45 for 1-2 "e-learning" credit hours, or programs that include all credits for about $200-$350. They even offer some e-learning courses for free, but you wont get credits unless you pay and take their 3-6 question quiz (so it isn't like you're getting any new material by paying vs not paying!).
I am yet to see a free "e-learning" credit. I will continue to search, but I may have to change my goals from 30 credit hours to 20hrs, or go for all 60 at once by paying the fee to access unlimited material.
I think I will opt to wait, and soak up all free opportunities I see this year. I am slightly upset they pull this sort of fast one on us. Guess I should've expected it. Companies will try to nickel and dime you every way they can, and this is a pretty good way to do so!
Will your job cover the cost of the recert?
ReplyDeleteYou may want to see if it is infact cheaper to just take the test again!
As of today, the test would be $525, and paying for all the credits at once ranges from 200-350 (plus the $150 recert fee)... besides, that test was brutal! I don't think I'd want to take it again and risk failing it even if it was cheaper. I did consider it though.
DeleteI agree, ask your company to pay!
ReplyDeleteHS
I would definitely check with your employer. Even if this an optional certification, they will still likely want you to keep it...at their expense.
ReplyDeleteThat's a bit... difficult. The certification kind of over-qualifies me for my position (and there's no room to grow at all), and I am not sure what my manager's feelings are about the certification and me getting it. Maybe next year I will bring it up--I still have 30+months to take care of this.
DeleteMy husband had to take the test many moons ago, and his company would help them find some free opportunities for credits. Definitely check out with your employer!
ReplyDeleteEvery cert is like that these days. I pity the poor teachers who have to pay for graduate level classes and stuff to keep their licenses. IT certs, the same, but you pay Microsoft and their minions to maintain certification. I feel for you.
ReplyDeletePeace <3
Jay
Haha, true about teachers. Didn't even think about that...
DeleteHi Tanner! I'm glad you're thinking ahead about recertification. Our resources page (hrci.org/recertification/recertification-resources) has great ideas about low cost recert. Don't forget, you can earn up to 20 credits for on the job experience. We decided to make the first recert cost increase in over 10 years to cover the rising cost of doing business but don't have any immediate plans to increase it again soon. ~JNM
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janee. I've checked those before, but the e-learning credits are still the biggest challenge.
DeleteSheesh what a great game they're playing...at your expense. I'm glad I'm at the point where I don't need to take any more courses...as a teacher we are expected to take "extra qualification" courses (EQs for short) at about $600 a pop. The only plus is that it then becomes a tax deduction. Can you claim the costs on your tax return???
ReplyDeleteYou know what, I never thought about that. Though after looking it up, it seems I cannot claim it because it's lower than 2% of my income. The total cost for all materials and fees was $660 and 2% of my income came to 730. Great thought, though!
DeleteYep - agree with others - check with your employer/HR dept. Quite often they will foot at least part of the recert. bill, which is better than nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe point of re-certification classes is to keep your knowledge current. People are forgetful. I am required to pay for re-certification as well, and pay each year (I submit my 'points' yearly and must have enough by the end of five years or lose my certification). But look at it from the other perspective. The people who prepare this material, teach the course, and slog through all the paperwork (even if it is electronic)...they deserve some compensation for their time. That is mostly what you are paying for, and they are running businesses so yes, they make a little extra. I'm always amazed at the people (I run into this all the time at work) who want the benefits of being certified (9% salary increase for us) but don't want the work or expense of staying certified. Especially in my field, it is extremely important to keep current on new technologies. My employer will pay for one training opportunity per year. Everything else we cover. And you are lucky that you can include a portion of online coursework. We cannot include any unless it is an actual college course from an accredited university.
ReplyDelete