CERTIFICATION Interview with Karla Hutchinson, LPC Karla Hutchinson, LPC, is the asset protection administration systems manager for Brookshire Grocery in Tyler, Texas. Her career started with the company thirty-two years ago as a cashier in one of its retail locations. Hutchinson worked in human resources for about ten years and had several different roles in safety, asset protection, and retail operations.
A New Perspective T
his is another in a series of interviews with working loss prevention professionals who have earned their LPQ or LPC certifications from the Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) to hear in their own words why they pursued certification and how it has benefited their careers. Why did you decide to pursue certification? I had the opportunity to attend my first Food Marketing Institute conference in 2010, and during the conference I learned about the various certifications offered by the Loss Prevention Foundation. Fortunately, my name was drawn to receive the LPC scholarship as a door prize for stopping by their booth. Wanting to advance my career and enhance my experience with loss prevention, I seized the opportunity.
The certification provides you with a wide range of business knowledge and gives you real-life situations that put that knowledge in a context that you can relate to. It’s an awesome opportunity to learn from the many veterans in the industry who contributed to the development of the certification program. Was the course what you expected? The coursework provided much more than what I expected. As a newly promoted LP professional, I wanted to learn more about the LP side of business. My background was retail, education, and training. I came into our LP organization with little practical knowledge of the loss prevention. The courses gave me a great deal of knowledge of loss prevention, safety, and business concepts.
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Tell us more about the process. The coursework provided up-to-date information about a large number of topics. I liked that you could read the information, take practice tests at the end of each section, and go back to review the materials if you liked. I would make note cards with the information and carried my notes with me to review wherever I went. This method helped me learn the information and gave me a great deal of confidence when I took the exam. Looking at your own personal development, what information within the course helped you the most? The program gave me a better foundation of how important it is to have department goals that are in line with the company’s strategic plans. My team works toward a common goal, and the course helped me with setting goals that will benefit the company. What benefits have you seen from taking the course? I believe that studying the coursework and receiving my certification has given me an extra layer of knowledge that has helped advance my career in this profession. I now approach my job with much more confidence knowing that I have a greater foundation of knowledge about loss prevention and look forward to learning something new from every experience that I am a part of. Would you recommend certification to others? Absolutely. The certification provides you with a wide range of business knowledge and gives you real-life situations that put that knowledge in a context that you can relate to. It’s an awesome opportunity to learn from the many veterans in the industry who contributed to the development of the certification program. If you could offer one key takeaway to someone currently considering getting certified, what would it be? Just do it! You will not only be better equipped with greater information to do your job, but you will also gain a personal sense of accomplishment. We are never going to grow professionally if we don’t continue to learn. The challenge is rewarding. Jump in and take the certification. You will learn so much and will show your colleagues the value and investment you have in your own career growth.
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015
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