Professional non-tech/non-IT certifications - bestow your wisdom upon me

I have been a bit absent in recent months (years). Heck, I used to be a top ten poster. But annoyingly, the government has developed this nasty habit of expecting me to perform.

But it has been a grand 21 years and in roughly 2 years this is all coming to a close and the next phase of Mental. To that end, I must begin my preparation now.

A few years ago, I finished my Masters in Human Resource Management. I figure my job qualifies me as experienced. I am looking to get Project Management Professional (PMP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.

Some of the other certs I am seeing out there are the Change Management and the infamous world of TQM. Any of them worthwhile?

Am I missing anything? Any HR types out there that have better ideas? I recognize most of this is buzz words and to a degree snake oil, but the arena I am looking to get into it seems this are the qualifications most are listing.

Or for that matter, I have always you guys are a bright lot, maybe I am missing a career opportunity. I am looking in the realm of Operations Directors, Chief of Operations or VP level jobs, so I recognize this might not be the best audience, but a great deal of you have been there and done that.

I am from ATL originally, what is left of the clan is there. So the south is where I want to be. The Midwest has a very definite charm, but I have had enough of it.

Thanks in advance for your inputs

So I am taking it from your current list of certifications in your plans that you are currently in an HR role. Is that what you see yourself doing in your next phase? If it is, I'm not sure of the value a continuous improvement type certification would add. I think PMP would be a great idea though.

I am an assistant Director for Squadron Operations back home, in short; eaple planes and missions.

Right now I am a deployed Director of Operations, so it's all my problem.

If I slant my resume, yeah. It's a heavy HR role, just not exclsuively. It is a lot of HR in the since of keeping everyone in complaince as well as our system of annual evals and regualtions we have to answer to. I actually do enjoy the aspect of interaction with folks and finding their motivations and desired rewards.

So I enjoy HR and would like to pursue it, but I don't want to limit my options. A Chief of Operations job on the civiliam side would interest me as well.

Maybe something with a healthcare slant? Takes a lot of org. to run things like hospitals, etc.. and high demand.

How are you on the "IT" side? If you mix your org. skills and experience, with all of the electronic medical record implementation that is working it's way out right now you could be a very hot commodity. Might involve more travel then you'd like if you had to move from sight to sight, though. But then again, if you're used to it, maybe not.

Hospital could be a good idea. They take a lot to keep running since they are a 24/7 operation that needs people to run everything, patient care, powerplants kitchens ect kinda like the military. My wife's is paying for her to finish her HR degree, and the place is crawling with nurses.

Medical may not be a bad idea. The Nurse thing would be about as healthy for me as it is for you Wally. Thanks for the ideas!

My "IT" skills are way out of date (think windows 4.1) and my last IT NCO told me I was his most dangerous user becuase all the stuff I know is "old and wrong."

I'll be honest, I am done with travelling. The nest life's travelling will involve me in a motorhome going to races as the extent of my travel.

Well, the good news is the healthcare industry is big in ATL, so lots of places to look for a permanent home.

Some universities offer a certification in conflict resolution, might be worth looking into. Mine is a just a day-long seminar that even counts for credit. I'm getting it to complement my business and technical communication degrees.

Ohhhh, conflict resolution. I like it Thanks!