I fell into HR by way of Retail Management some 20 years ago (I know, I don’t look that old – hey, stop laughing)! My Army-enlisted brother had been tooting Huntsville’s horn for years, so I took the leap. After transferring to Huntsville from Michigan, I was quickly swept up into the world of Defense Contracting within a year. I have been a budget analyst for the past 3 years; it’s been my “job”, not my career! Before my relocation, I was on track to becoming the District Trainer for the company I worked for. That’s my passion – training and development – and I was really beginning to miss it after a year and a half of doing budgetary work. I figured with almost 20 years of management under my belt, coupled with over 11 years of HR/Operations experience, that I could easily transition back into HR. WRONG!!! Just about every job that I applied for preferred PHR or SPHR certification. I didn’t even know what that was. Once I found out, I began to take steps in that direction. First, I took a short course in Human Resources Management Essentials at UAH; this reinforced that I was on the right track. Then I joined NASHRM and subsequently enrolled in NASHRM’s Mentor University. I was the odd duck (in more ways than one) in that I was the only one that didn’t have certification! I was also the only one not currently working in the HR world. Well all of this is about to change, doggone it, once I get my certification on January 18th. Ok, now that it has been spoken into existence – look me up if you’re hiring! LOL NO, seriously, look me up!
Bio:
Maria has a Bachelor’s in Merchandising Management from Michigan State University. She has worked in a management 
capacity in several large retailers; she is currently working as a Budget Analyst for the DoD, but is actively seeking employment in HR. She is currently a member of SHRM and NASHRM and is soliciting your prayers as she prepares to test for her PHR in January.
