I've worked for a pipeline company for the last 15 years, spending the first 13 years as assistant to our VP/General Counsel and a little over 2 years ago, was absorbed into the Human Resources & Administration department. As is common in our company, we all wear a wide variety of hats and my job entails event planning, corporate logo work, administration of our Board of Directors online board book portal, administration of our corporate & departmental policies, procedures, processes & manuals, filing tariffs with the federal government, administering our corporate award programs, being a standing member of our safety committee - on & on. For many years, I've kicked around going back to school to finish my degree, but it's just never been the right time due to workload, family issues or personal health issues.  As a very flat organization anyway, the opportunities for advancement are slim. Several others in my department (payroll/comp and benefits) are seeking certification, or additional certifications, so I started to do my own research. The CAP seemed to be the broadest certification that actually fit my very broad job description/duties the best.  I'm excited to move through this journey!

So glad you took the time to explore certification options for yourself. I find it never hurts to prepare for the future, because we just don't know what might happen. Companies get bought out, layoffs occur, people retire, new bosses come in we may not like, etc. It's always wise to lay the groundwork to be prepared for anything life throws at us.

Thank you for sharing your story. You're making a great investment in your future. When an opportunity presents itself, you will be ready and confident to make that leap!

Hi K. Moss - Thank you for sharing. I am excited to say that I have signed up for CAP certification this year as well. I'm also attending the Leadership Academy and Summit in July. Good luck on your exam and hope to see you in NOLA!

Thanks for the replies! I would love to attend some IAAP events this year, but unfortunately, have too many work events already filling my calendar. I'm hopeful next year I can attend some events. My company is the sponsor (and planner) of an industry event for HR professionals that we're hosting in Charleston, SC in October, so that's taking up a large portion of my time this year and is the reason I'm testing in March vs. September. I recently filled out my working calendar w/events & traveled and already feel a bit overwhelmed with more trips than I realized until they were all laid out in my 2 page calendar vs. spread out through Outlook! It'll be ok...I'll just keep telling myself that!

Life long learning I say. Congrats for taking the initiative to study for the CAP exam. Best wishes.

Life long learning I say. Congrats for taking the initiative to study for the CAP exam. Best wishes.