Elizabeth Enriquez-Cruz never imagined a career in Human Resources. A licensed geologist and professional teacher by training, she once dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But after a life-altering health crisis, her career took an unexpected turn—one that eventually led her to HR, and more than a decade of serving companies and employees across borders.
“I would say that I am one of those ‘accidental HR persons,’ having no formal education with HR-related courses from college or university,” Elizabeth said in an interview with Financial Adviser PH. “It happened in 1995 when I was employed at Innodata Processing Company. I worked there as an editor—editing publications—then I got sick, paralyzed for two years, no chance of survival.”
What followed wasn’t just recovery—it was reinvention.
“Through the grace of God, I survived. And through the kindness of our president, Todd H. Solomon, he allowed me to return to work in the HR/Personnel Department as HR Assistant handling Recruitment and Employee Benefits.”
That moment, born out of compassion, marked the start of what would become her life’s work. More than ten years later, Elizabeth is now HR and Admin Manager at Ali Iskandar Al Ansari and Sons Company in Qatar, where she continues to serve with heart—and hard-won experience.
Formalizing an Unplanned Career
With no traditional HR background, Elizabeth looked for a way to validate her expertise and continue learning. The Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) designation offered that pathway.
“I decided to pursue CHRP certification because I believe that it will help me to enhance my knowledge and skills as an HR professional and apply it to my work—and share also the knowledge to others,” she said.
It wasn’t a solo decision. Her mentor and community encouraged her.
“CHRP was introduced to us by our PHRP-Q (Philippines HR Practitioner in Qatar) President, Ms. Amie Andrada,” Elizabeth explained. “She encourages us to enhance our HR knowledge through CHRP.”
And although she had already built a long, fulfilling career, Elizabeth was driven not by titles but by a deep sense of purpose.
“At 59, next year I will get my other citizenship—Senior Citizen,” she joked. “Although I once dreamed to be a lawyer… I would say that I praise and thank God that I am professionally and personally fulfilled now.”
Certification as Confidence
The CHRP certification didn’t just expand her knowledge—it gave her a greater sense of confidence in a field she had once entered by chance.
“Being a CHRP-certified made me more equipped and knowledgeable in a lot of HR aspects,” she said. “CHRP certification helped me to be confident to face anyone, as far as HR-related matters are concerned, again, having no formal background in HR.”
That confidence transformed how she operates on the job.
“With the proper skills and knowledge I gained, I was able to explain and discuss it with the management and with the employees with more confidence.”
Paying It Forward
Even with no plans to seek new roles, Elizabeth sees CHRP as a tool worth sharing.
“I will strongly recommend the CHRP certification to other HR practitioners,” she said. “Because I believe that it will help them to perform their duties with proper information and ideas from CHRP—especially for an ‘accidental’ HR practitioner like me.”
More than just a designation, CHRP helped Elizabeth embrace her HR identity—one she never planned for, but now fully owns.
