Those Two Little Pins: What PR Pros Need to Know About Credentialing
Lindsay Hudock, APR, CPRC received her CPRC Certification at FPRA’s Annual Conference, with Amanda Handley, APR, CPRC and Jay Morgan Schleuning, APR, CPRC.
By: Lindsay Hudock, APR, CPRC
Annual conference is one of my favorite times of the year. I love being immersed in the energy created by a room full of PR professionals. I’m energized by the time I spend with peers, motivated by the discussion of new trends and hot topics, and re-centered by the opportunity to look with fresh eyes on the foundational elements of our field. I leave each year with renewed passion for the work I love and gratitude for the incredible colleagues I get to share it with. But this year I also left with some new hardware that, for me, was a long time coming.
Those two little pins. We’ve all seen them proudly displayed on collars, lapels and lanyards: the APR and the CPRC. This year’s annual conference was particularly special to me because it was the first time I was wearing both. It’s something I’m incredibly proud to have achieved, but the emotion running a close second to pride was exasperation with myself for waiting so long to try. There’s a million reason’s we don’t pull the trigger on credentialing: we’re too busy, we’re too scared, we think we’re not ready, we’re not convinced it really matters. But once you’re on the other side, it’s impossible to pretend they don’t ring hollow. As someone who has freshly crossed from the realm of “going to do it one day” to “why didn’t I do this years ago,” I want to share a few things I think we could all benefit from knowing about credentialing.
Everyone is ready. Absolutely everyone is ready for some stage of the process. Maybe you’re new to the field. You’re ready to start talking to more seasoned professionals about their path to credentialing. You’re a few years in and starting to find your footing in the profession. You’re ready to start researching the requirements, downloading the study guides, looking into prep classes and study groups. Or maybe you’re a seasoned professional and you think you might have missed your window. It’s time to remember the qualities and characteristics that have made you successful in this field and ask yourself if you’re continuing to live them if you don’t pursue the opportunity for learning and growth.
It may be the key to securing new talent. As Gen Z floods the workforce, their preferences and how they see the world will become an increasingly bigger part of professional life for all of us. And 75% of them say there are more meaningful ways of getting an education than traditional college. They’re expected to pursue alternative credentials, in addition to or even in lieu of a formal degree, more so than any previous generation. In just two years, they’re going to make up nearly 30% of the workforce. A recent Forbes article discussed how important it is to this generation that brands and employers align with their values. If we want to recruit this generation, we’ll have to connect with them on the things that matter to them. Increasingly this may mean demonstrating a commitment to ongoing professional development in the form of credentialing for ourselves as well as programs to support employee efforts to do the same.
It's going to be increasingly hard to be competitive without it. The growing prevalence of certifications and licenses and the connection they have to labor market outcomes and earnings are undeniable. So much so that in 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics added questions on certifications and licenses to the Current Population Survey. What it found is that by 2018, 26% of the workforce over the age of 24 held some kind of professional credential. And given what we know about Gen Z, who entered the workforce for the first time in 2018, that percentage will continue to grow. Can we really stand in front of our clients and claim to be offering excellence if we’re ignoring opportunities for continued growth and professional development being pursued by so many of our peers?
You are worth the effort. At the end of the day, this may be the only motivation that really matters. Life is busy. Work is crazy. Your career is demanding. It can feel nearly impossible to carve out time for something that no one is paying you to do and that doesn’t chip away at your ever-growing list of daily requirements. But you are worth it. You deserve that sense of accomplishment. You are worthy of standing in the top 25% of your peers. It’s because you work so hard and the to-do list is so long that you deserve the recognition as a top-tier professional in your field. Yes, it takes time and effort and it’s easy to tell ourselves we don’t have either one. But holding those two little pins in your hand for the first time comes with a powerful combination of relief, pride, and a sense of achievement. And you are worth it.