By Isabelle Hertz

Breanne Stoudt, BBA CHRP, is the human resources advisor for the Saanich School District. Her career in human resources began at Camosun College as a human resources assistant while also attending Camosun as a student to complete her bachelor degree in business administration specializing in human resource management. In her current role at the school district, Breanne is responsible for all aspects of teacher staffing including recruitment and hiring, collective agreement interpretation and administration, and policy and program development and implementation.

What motivated you to get your CHRP designation?
Carole Gosse, one of my instructors at Camosun, first made me aware of the designation early on in my program. I did some research on it and I was confident it would be an asset to me in my career path and complement my formal post-secondary training.  I have a lot of respect for the designation and appreciate having something that formally attests to my knowledge of HR practices.

What kind of mentors did you have through your HR career? Did s/he influence your decision to pursue your CHRP designation?
My amazing instructors at Camosun did a lot of work to help prepare me for the designation and acting as cheerleaders throughout the entire process. Their encouragement and guidance really means a lot to me.

I’ve been really fortunate to have worked with so many inspiring people thus far in my career that I would say acted as a mentor to me. When I was working as an HR assistant at Camosun College, I worked with an amazing team of HR professionals that have shaped who I am professionally. I can honestly say I learned something from each and every person there, whether it be someone senior to me or a colleague.

Now working at the Saanich School District, my boss Paul Standring has been invaluable to me for support and advice as I grow and develop as an HR professional. He has been very supportive of me pursuing my CHRP designation.

My parents have always been a great source of information and support to me as well. Being raised by small business owners, I feel I developed an ear for business at an early age, discussing tricky workplace issues at the dinner table.

In what ways has the CHRP changed your professional life?
My CHRP designation has helped me immensely in my professional life. It’s opened my mind to a new perspective and taught me things that you can’t always learn in school. I remember going in to write the NPPA exam and thinking that even if I didn’t pass I wouldn’t be upset because I felt I had learned so much simply from studying for the exam. It has made me so much more confident and has prepared me for situations I have yet to experience.

How do you feel you are more able to solve every day challenges because of the knowledge you acquired while pursuing the designation?
What I really love about the designation is that it’s so practical.  It’s something you can take to work with you the next day and utilize. It also tackles some of the more taboo workplace situations, such as office romances and unethical practices and how to handle them. It’s also given me a new appreciation for the history of the human resources field, where it has come from and where it is going and the evolving role of HR in an organization.

Above all, what I have noticed most is that the designation has taught me to view workplace issues from a strategic perspective, which I believe is truly vital as an HR professional.

Isabelle Hertz, BComm, HRM, works at STEMCELL Technologies as a Human Resources Coordinator. She is excited about being a part of Human Resources’ growing field and working more with Human Resources professionals to broaden her knowledge base.