Congrats, Jason. There were a few things you mentioned in your post right off the bat that gave me the impression an APR accreditation -- or ABC (the IABC certification) -- would be worthwhile. Those were 1) individual achievement, 2) networking and mentoring, 3) education.

Nos. 2 and 3 especially are vital to our development as PR pros and I are, IMO, likely the most valuable pieces you take away from an experience like this.

I'm an IABC guy who's just starting to get more involved in PRSA. When I've talked to IABC folks about the ABC accreditation, I've gotten a lukewarm response at best. But I think part of that is because some think for the time you invest, the rewards may not be there. I could see that perspective if you're thinking strictly financial. But reading your post confirms to me that I should consider an ABC -- and eventually an APR -- for the people I'll meet and the lessons I'll learn.

I would ask you and all others APR's who commented: Does an APR really increase the amount of money you make professionally? I find that hard to believe, unless the thought process there is the designation opens new networking doors to a group of people with whom you might not otherwise have been connected. Since networking always seems to lead to the best jobs, I could see that point. Anyway, congrats Jason. You deserve it!

Addressing one more common theme in the comments...I think PRSA and IABC could do a much better job of promoting their respective accreditations. That said, the most important thing both groups can be promoting right now, as Lauren said, is membership -- or even just involvement (some people can't afford the membership) so professionals, especially those out of a job, can take advantage of the networking.

Each month at our IABC meetings we see more and more people stand up and say they're looking for work and I think one of our biggest goals as a PR professionals org should be to help those people.

First off, thank you to Arik for letting us use his blog for some good thoughts on the APR process.

@ Jason - Congratulations. It was great to see a fellow #tffl player have a serious side and share such a great guest post on accreditation.

I fall into the category of 'studying for APR' and am so thankful that I have local colleagues like Samra and Linda in the Ft. Worth/Dallas market to keep me on my toes.

I decided early on that I was going to work at earning the APR for many of the same reasons that have already been discussed. I also find it encouraging that many PR people that took this journey had life get in the way.

I also agree that PRSA needs to do a much better job on the marketing-side of the APR as a designation as well as the process. I'm so glad to see from Samra's comment that she has been invited to be a part of that effort.

- @vedo

Jason,

Once again, congratulations! Glad I've heard about this both in person and in this post. As a fellow Minnesota PRSA member, I thank you for being a great example and inspiration to those of us behind you to continue doing what we're doing. You have done a great job of giving back what you've been given as well, which is so important. Thanks and congrats!!! You're awesome.

Jason -

I think the other comments cover what I would add but your experience mirrors my own. I was a business administration, marketing major and never took a PR class in school. I'd been to loads of seminars and conferences over the years, but I found that what I learned during that process was more valuable than all of the other education combined. I learned how to think smarter and focus my strategies and messages. Now I apply that to my work in social media.

I wouldn't say anything negative about it, but I would say that I thought some of the test left a little to be desired. There were portions where the questions themselves were confusing and the format of the questions was strange - each having not one answer but multiple selections you had to make. Definitely made it harder to take. If someone reading this is considering taking it - take the sample tests available online at prsa.org and through your instructor first. It will help tremendously.

Thanks to everyone...

Here's another good take on the APR from Michelle Scheuermann, just published on PRSA's ComPRehension blog:
http://comprehension.prsa.org/?p=282

Jason

Jason,
First let me express my deep congratulations to you on this achievement. Earning accreditation is an affirmation of not only personal goals but also professional ones. Enjoy your success!

Second, I agree with Mary that deciding to earn the APR is a journey that must begin with personal motivation. The process is gratifying and educational, but it also requires persistence and commitment. It is difficult to conclude that journey without understanding this.

As a PRSA member of both the Greater Fort Worth and the Dallas chapters, I'm glad to see the support offered for those colleagues who wish to pursue APR or who are already in the process. While both chapters have different ways of supporting APR candidates, the critical issue is that both chapters provide support and resources for those who've decided to explore APR.

Again, Jason, thanks for sharing your story! I hope others will read this and be encouraged about accreditation.

Jason, you are absolutely right, PRSA does promote APR, but IMHO not enough. I've griped about it so much I'm finding myself on the national APR Marketing Committee next year (assuming the meetings don't get in the way of the classes I teach at UNT.) There are efforts underway to increase promotion of APR and training of chapter APR chairs.

You are also absolutely right that there is a difference between chapters. The APR chairs communicate with each other, we have regular conference calls, etc., but it seems to be the same folks participating regularly. Some chapters have more resources than others, but opportunities abound for sharing best practices.

We in the Dallas chapter do promote it at meetings, during events, in our chapter communications, to our PRSSA chapters and on the Web site, but I agree we could do more. Whenever someone earns their APR we make a big deal about "pinning" them at the next luncheon, and give them the chance to talk about their experience.

As APR chair here, I have started sending a letter to the bosses and CEOs of organizations where the newly-accredited member works, explaining that their employee has earned the mark of distinction in public relations, and describing what the process entails. This has proven instrumental in promoting the APR brand within corporate leadership, inside and outside the PR field.

Congratulations Jason on completing the journey. It is a tremendous testament to your professional achievement of which you should be really proud.

Good luck to those in different places along the journey as well. I believe the APR is all about personal achievement and something you have to want for yourself and not because others have suggested you achieve it.

The resources at PRSA are included in a previous comment so I won't include them again but this it's really important to note the APR program is a cooperative program of a number of public relations societies, including PRSA. The APR is not granted by PRSA, although they are the largest of the cooperating groups. For more information about that and the exam, you can go to: www.praccreditation.org.

As has been noted, each chapter has its own APR program and some are much better than others but it's really up to each chapter. Additionally, with the advent of the new exam, there are a number of online resources and study sessions that really help you learn the different areas that are covered in the test.

I urge you to take the journey. You'll be gratified to know what you already know, and I'm sure you'll use the information learned almost every day in your career.

Good luck to all and congratlutions again to Jason.

Thanks Lauren...

To your points, PRSA does promote APR. There definitely is a thrust on it from National, and communications are passed down to individual chapters for dissemination to members. But, outside of some resources at National, it seems to be executed mostly on the individual chapter level, and each chapter has its own way of carrying the torch. For example, our Minnesota chapter has its own committee responsible for helping members achieve APR, but maybe others don't. I'm not sure. Maybe what you're seeing are gaps in how chapters execute, which is something that surely could be discussed at future conferences. It would be great to see more best practices in accreditation shared, implemented and standardized, so that practitioners everywhere who want to go for it have the best chance to succeed.

That said, I absolutely think that APR is something that accredited members should tout often. It's not just up to PRSA - it's up to those of us who have it to educate the masses about its value, and to justify for those considering the process the significant investment of time and resources to get it. It's not only good from an individual education standpoint, it's great for the profession to have a more APRs out there to further legitimize the practice of public relations as an important part of business today. If we fall short, then APR as a whole falls short of its incredible potential. Hopefully this blog post helps in that effort.

I'm the Dallas chapter Accreditation chair, going into my fourth year. Having mentored many people through the process, I concur, they all agree it's worth it, especially those with about 10 years of experience. Why? Because it is both a review and a validation. It's a review of the theories and practices we should all be doing as well as those things we may have forgotten since college. It's a validation because it allows one to do a thorough self-assessment of their professional capabilities and realize their strengths and weaknesses and chart a course for the future. And for career-changers (former reporters in particular) it's a crash course in PR and is often an eye-opening experience that exposes the professional to new ways of doing PR.

I once worked for an agency that would not even interview anyone who was not APR. Our clients understood that APRs have gone to the extra effort to learn and meet certain standards that set us apart from other PR agencies. If more agencies--and corporate communications departments--hired only APRs, there would be a rush to Accreditation.

Critics of APR complain that it's not a licensing program, and that many people inside and outside the industry don't know what that is. That is true, and it's our fault for not being better at self-promotion, both as Accredited individuals and as an organization. All of us should work to change that, by requiring Accreditation of our employees and supporting them through the process.

And, at the risk of sounding snarky, in my personal experience, nearly 100% of the people I've talked to who see no value in APR have, on closer questioning, admitted they tried, didn't pass the exam, and gave up. Rather than do the professional soul-searching and studying necessary to pass, they blame the process. They pass that attitude on to their employees, but without explaining why, they do themselves, Accreditation, and the profession no favors.

I enjoyed reading about your APR journey. I am in the process of earning my accreditation and at times it is difficult and time consuming, but I know that at the end of the process I will be a better professional for it.

In our FPRA (Florida Public Relations Association) chapter and in Tallahassee, attaining an APR has become more important than ever, with more PR pros going through the process. To me the biggest value has been learning about our industry on a deeper level, especially because I come from a TV background and do not have a degree in PR.

I hope your post inspires others to become accredited!

Thanks everyone for reading and RT'ing!

Ryan, the APR is really the public relations field's equivalent of a CPA - almost like going back to school for a post-graduate degree to some extent. There are two main phases to pass: a portfolio review, where a panel of APRs will interview you and review a binder you assemble of your work to ensure you meet the standards for APR; and a standardized test where you're asked to apply all the theory, history, ethics, etc. involved in the business.

It has several benefits to one's career. The process gives you a base of professional knowledge and best practices from which to think and execute from, no matter what the client, company or campaign. This is what I'm already applying every day in my work - and the confidence that comes from knowing and being able to apply that is invaluable. It can open doors. PRSA also says that APRs make more money. Just a few of the ways...

If you're interested in learning more, don't hesitate to visit http://www.prsa.org/Learning/Accreditation/.

First - Congratulations!

I think a big take-away from this is: "those that go through the process don't criticize it, they realize the value in it."

But do they have enough clout to promote it? Shouldn't the organization be promoting it even harder? Making it a valuable resource? Coming from a person who worked in an association - your members ALWAYS come first. You have a servant's heart. You are constantly reaching out for general member initiatives - how to gain new members and retain the ones you have. As the only prominent PR organization, PRSA has to do a better job of promoting both general membership and APR. It's an ongoing process.

Does that mean as members, we shouldn't be promoting? No way. But if the organization doesn't do it, why should I?

Accredidation is valuable - as is apparent for programs' such as ASAE - the CAE and Fellow program. They carry a lot of clout. They have their own conferences, meet-ups and are regarded on a higher level. The process is intense, and people are very open about promoting it.

Make sense?

I just think general membership has to be promoted - great in some chapters, not so much in others. Find the value in general membership, then promote APR program. Has to start from national standpoint.

Lauren

Congrats on the completion of a journey Jason. I love that you said "it was all about the journey, not the destination," as it mirrors Dan Millman's "The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination," from Peaceful Warrior. I wish more people realized this fact rather than get blinded by the destination.

As someone who has more of a mktg than PR background, I think it'd be beneficial to include a couple of sentences about what the APR actually entails, and how it can benefit PR professionals' careers.

Thanks for sharing J!

R

Great post Jason. I fully agree with your observation that, "I don’t know a single APR who criticizes the credential. Everyone I know that has gone through the process realizes the value of being accredited and thinks they emerged better from the journey than they were before they started."

I am constantly amazed that I have NEVER heard negative feedback by those who have actually gone through the process. That really says a lot doesn't it?