The accreditation in public relations (APR) designation had been one of my goals since I first began my undergraduate public relations studies back in the fall of 1998. At the time it seemed like the pinnacle of a public relations career. Something that would prove when I had finally made it. I remember being told that I should practice my craft for at least five years before I tried the daunting process. I also remember thinking that five years seemed like a lifetime.
Those five years came and went and while the APR was still a goal, I kept telling myself I hadn't gained enough professional experience or knowledge. Then in 2009, in an effort to help enhance my growing expertise I applied and was accepted into the George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management to earn my master's in strategic public relations. Two years later, with my graduate degree in hand and eight years of professional experience, I continued to tell myself, I still wasn't ready to go after the APR designation.
It seemed as if I would never reach my goal. That inner-voice always found a reason why I should wait just a few more years and gain just a bit more experience. The imposter syndrome was strong.
Then on the advice of a good friend, approximately six years ago, I sat down and wrote out a list of goals I wanted to accomplish and gave myself five years to accomplish them. The goals included: get married, buy a house, start a family and earn my APR. Within two years I had accomplished the first three goals on my list and a year and a half ago I decided I had run out of excuses for not beginning the APR process.
With the support of my wife, who took on a greater burden at home as I studied, and the financial backing of my employer, I made the leap. I wanted to make sure that I had no excuses, so I did the one thing that the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) advises you not to do, I applied to sit for the exam before I began the study process or completed my panel presentation. That meant the clock was ticking, I had exactly twelve months to complete the process or let my employer know they had spent a lot of money for nothing.
Over the next year, I spent a minimum of one night a week studying at a local coffee shop, joined an APR online study course cohort, found and APR mentor, took my Cutlip and Center's Effective Public Relations book everywhere and committed to doing whatever I needed to ensure I passed the exam.
I'm ecstatic to say that in Dec. 2018, I sat for and passed the APR exam (within my five year time frame) and officially received word at the beginning of this year that I am now Accredited by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB).
Making the decision to pursue and then obtaining my APR has opened doors of possibilities for my career and allowed me to see opportunities that I may not have seen otherwise. There are numerous directions I can now take my career and I feel I have the ability to meet any challenge that I face.
This process supercharged my confidence in my own work and helped me realize just how much experience and knowledge I have gained over the years. It allowed me to think even more strategically and gave me new ways to make an even greater impact with my work. I've gained additional credibility with my employer, who is now one of my biggest cheerleaders and it gave me the much-needed push to go after a few other goals that had been sitting on the self.
When my career in public relations started more than 15 years ago, the APR accreditation seemed like the end goal. Now I know it is just one more milestone in what I hope is a long and storied career.
Here are a few tips for those planning on beginning the APR process:
- Set a date that you want to complete the process. If you are like me, not having a deadline will cause you to put it on the back-burner because of other pressing issues.
- Find an APR mentor. My mentor helped keep me on tract and constantly reassured me I could and would receive my APR.
- Join the online APR course and volunteer to present. I learned a lot just by having others professionals to talk with and hear about their experience and presenting help me prepare for my panel presentation.
- Put aside time every week to focus just on studying. Find a quiet place where you can relax and won't be disturbed.