Thinking About Your APR? You’ve Got the Power!

If you’ve been thinking about earning your Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) but haven’t yet acted, the June 22 Member Monday topic “The Power of APR,” hosted by PRSA National Chair Heide Harrell, was ready with an encouraging nudge, promising, “There has never been a better time to engage.”

The powerful panel of APR’s Heather Cavanaugh, Yolanda Stephen, and PRSA CEO Matthew Marical talked about how the APR elevates careers, strengthens strategic thinking, and builds leadership confidence. Yolanda is chair of the Universal Accreditation Board, and Heather is a board member. Matt recently earned his APR.

If you missed it, here are some quick notes, plus the link to the full recording.

Heather outlined the four steps of the APR process: Application and fee, panel exam, online exam, and renewal. She said common roadblocks include doubt about your project and concern about finding the time. She said the panelists look for demonstration of research, planning, implementation and evaluation. “I came into office one hour early one day a week,” she said, “and dedicated that time to APR prep.”

Yolanda talked about the benefits of the APR for her career. “I was unable to make the leap from transactional to strategic,” she said. “The APR process helped me do that. It helped me communicate strategy to my management.”

Matt described his greatest ROI of the APR. “I was able to share the journey,” he said, “talk about it to people going through the process, understanding the impact on their careers.”

Everyone shared the anxiety of confronting failure. Heide said she kept it private out of fear of not passing. Matt told Heide if he didn’t pass, he would tell everyone. “There is vulnerability,” he said. “There is no shame in not passing; it is time-consuming.”

Yolanda told her employer the APR was professional development, and the preparation time was necessary. She asked colleagues to review any changes in her work behavior. She used her company’s branding project for her presentation. “I had success with the panel, but failed the exam,” she said. “I decided to sit for the exam within a month while the process was fresh,” and she passed. She recommended note cards, the PRSA study guide, and “leaning on mentors in the organization.”

The panel gave final advice for those on the fence. Matt said, “Do it. There is never going to be a perfect time. You have one year since submitting the application.”

Heather said, “I never met anyone disappointed after going through the process. Download the study guide and read through it; order books that work for you. I printed out the guide and put it in a binder. Connect with the book material, and you can start studying before you apply. Put together a portfolio and use the guide as you develop your portfolio. Have mentors and ask them to review each process. It helped me build confidence.”

“Think about where you are feeling stuck in your career,” said Yolanda. “Write it down, go to the study guide and see how it can help you.”

Q&A Tips:

• Panel presentation is first, and you must pass to go on to the exam portion.
• Don’t wait to pass the panel to study for the exam. Set a date for the exam soon after passing the panel.
• 5-plus years in is recommended before applying. You will have more choices for a panel presentation with more career experience.
• The exam is not a test of recollection. It proposes scenarios and asks you to apply concepts you have learned.
• Tips for nervous test takers? Write things down, over-prepare. The study guide tells you the percentage of the test per category. Spend more time on higher percentage areas.
• Panel presentation can be virtual or in-person, and you can choose a PPT or binder. If you choose PPT, tech is your responsibility.
• The panel and the exam each take about 90 minutes. Questions are lengthy, and you will be writing long content.
• There is no fee for retaking the exam and no limit on the number of retakes.