An Honest Look At My APR Journey
This blog was originally published on PRSay - The Voice of Public Relations.
At the ripe ol’ age of 25, I had no idea that I would be where I am today. Although, I should have known better. My Gallup’s StrengthsFinder test results showed my top natural strength was Achiever. Yes, it means exactly what it sounds like it means.
It’s no surprise then that in my third year in the industry I decided that I wanted to look into earning my Accreditation in Public Relations from the Public Relations Society of America. And once I looked into it, there was no turning back.
February 2015 was the first time I heard about the APR process at a PRSA Central California Chapter luncheon. Exactly one year later (give or take a few days), I passed the test and officially became an APR.
To be honest, this entire experience sums up my career to this point. Right out of college, I was hired as a part-time writer for a local advertising agency. Within a few weeks, I was full-time. Within a year, I was running the social media department. Six months later, I was at the helm of the entire public relations department – me and a newly hired intern.
I’m not one for dipping my toes into the water. I wholeheartedly jump off the deep end. Whatever I need to do, I will. I’m just happy to be there, learning and growing every step of the way.
Signing up for the examination was me jumping right on in. Then, reality struck: I have to sit before a panel and prove myself and my work.
What am I doing? Five years of experience is recommended for a reason. Sure, I’ve done a lot in my short career – but there is no way that’s good enough, right?
Finally, I shut my inner demons up and focused. I went through every module in the online classroom, prepped my answers for the questionnaire, and make four different people listen to my portfolio presentation. What was I so scared of? I’m proud of my work and I’ve prepared for this.
I passed. My sigh of relief only came for a few days, then that ghastly feeling of self-doubt washed upon me again.
Before I took the final examination, I spoke to many wonderfully talented APRs who came before me. To my surprise, they were just as terrified as I was during the process.
These are the three most important things I can tell you about the process:
- You’re human. You are going to have that mind-numbing feeling of self-doubt – at times, even the most talented professionals in the world do. You’re allowed to be scared, but then put that behind you and walk into the panel review and the online test knowing that you can do it.
- Study, study, then study some more. Do one thing every night to work towards the test, even if it’s just 10 minutes of reading.
- It’s going to make you a better public relations professional. Sure, having your APR is prestigious and feels rewarding. How you analyze things and enhance your work afterwards is the real game-changer. Going through the course is incredibly valuable to your career. Even if you don’t feel ready to go through the process, consider taking the online course for your own professional enhancement.
Thanks for reading my story! For all of the other APRs out there, I’d love to hear about your experience, nerves and all.