As the senior manager for public relations in my organization, I often write and review strategic communications plans and provide direction on them to a very well-established public relations team with decades of combined experience.

The APR taught me the language honored, used and recognized by the public relations discipline. Sharing this knowledge with this veteran PR team resulted in adjustments to their own usage of well-known but often misused terms like “goals, objectives, strategies and tactics.” Through weekly PR strategic planning meetings that we embarked upon after I obtained the APR, I have been able to help the team apply the four-step RPIE process and the 10-step PR Plan process, standardizing and greatly improving our strategic public relations practices.

Continue reading " APR: Provide Vision for Public Relations in Your Organization "

The APR process is an excellent refresher in best practices, whether you are at the beginning, middle or end of your career. I guarantee that you will come away with a renewed zeal for this profession, a much richer view of the power of research and a much fuller toolkit for seeking answers when faced with those ever-present communication challenges. I call it the icing on the cake of my career.

I am grateful to the Tulsa PRSA Chapter for the great job it does of mentoring APR candidates. I suggest all candidates connect with a PRSA Chapter’s preparation class and mentoring program. The mentors let you know how and when to apply. The class and handouts are excellent preparation tools for the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations. Our mentors also arranged the Readiness Review dates and panels.

The Readiness Review questionnaire and portfolio preparation were great reviews of my work and helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses. My panel provided thoughtful and accurate feedback, and I improved my ability to create goals and objectives through this process. Counseling & Recovery’s communications plan is much stronger today because of the Readiness Review process.

Continue reading " It’s Never Too Late to Earn Your APR "

Through tantrums, painters and taxi fares, I managed to study and pass the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations.

Earning my APR has always been on my career bucket list since I began practicing public relations nine years ago. Fast forward to 2013. A teething one-year-old, a needy new house and traveling for work all demanded my attention. In other words, my life was anything but calm and conducive to studying.

So like any respectable person with a type A personality, I kicked the process into overdrive. I promised my husband I would pass the Examination within six months. There was no time to spare.

Continue reading " I Passed! "

Public relations is all about relationships. It shouldn’t be a surprise then that the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) process can be a great exercise in building and utilizing relationships. While I believe that anyone (with adequate PR experience) that puts their mind to it can complete this process on their own, the journey becomes smoother with support and can lead to lasting connections with those that help you along the way.

Continue reading " Build Your Network Through APR Support "

Editor’s note: This is the part of an ongoing series of articles from communicators who have earned their Accreditation in Public Relations, describing what led them to become accredited and what the accreditation experience was like for them.

Having worked in the public relations profession for decades, I finally decided to pursue my APR, and wish I would have done so earlier. Here are my top 10 reasons for getting my Accreditation in Public Relations (APR):

Number 10 – I now can explain more fully things I knew intuitively (e.g., why writing a news release is not enough).

Continue reading " Top 10 Reasons for Earning the APR "