Foolish Assumptions

Assumptions are simply things that I think I already know about you, my dear
reader, that guided my decisions on what to include in this book. For the PHR
and SPHR exams, they are as follows:
You’re an experienced HR professional. Because exam eligibility is based
on years of practical experience, even with a bit of education, I know that
you know the basics of HR.
You’re preparing for an exam, not looking for HR in a jar. This book is
about what you need to do to prepare to take a test about HR. It doesn’t
teach you all you need to know about the field of human resources. In
fact, the purpose of this book is to guide you to multiple resources for
exam preparation.
You have a baseline knowledge of business and management principles.
Corporate America, small businesses, and nonprofits all have shared HR
and business needs. I assume that you’re a working professional in one of
these categories and understand business terms such as strategy and
organizational structure.
You know how to conduct an Internet research. So much of what you
need to pass the tests can be found online, and I encourage you
throughout the book to do so.
Probably the most impressive assumption I make about you is that you’re

self-motivated, driven, and determined. Successful performers aren’t

generally satisfied with the status quo. If you’re reaching out to take one of
these tests, you’re among those individuals that demand more out of
themselves and by extension, your preparation resources. For this reason in
this book, I recommend adding study time, admonish you to take an
expanded view of a topic, and encourage you to create other dimensions to
the content. You must find it and touch it and interpret it yourself to fully
grasp the nuances of the exam content. This process requires that you take
control of your study time and resources. Leaving it to a single author or only
your past work experience isn’t enough to get you through. I need you to tap
into that drive and commit to doing what it takes to pass the first time around,
or at least be a heck of a lot better for it after the process.