September is Professional Development Month – what are you doing to up your game?

Whether you’re new to the profession or an experienced communicator, CPRS has designated September as Professional Development Month to support your professional growth.

For aspiring practitioners, PR students and junior practitioners, be sure to familiarize yourself with the benefits of both a National Student membership and the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK®) Exam.  If you’re not a National Student member, come join us and learn from a wide range of professionals across Canada in the industry.  Take the PRK exam which is being written across the country, Sept 29th as it just might be your ticket to getting a foothold in the industry this year!

Are you a seasoned communicator who has been working 20 years or more?  Why not make this the year you apply for the CPRS College of Felows. The College of Fellows is an esteemed group of CPRS members (which I am honored to be a part of) with a proven track record of both the communications skills and ethical behaviours we stand for as an organization.   I strongly encourage all eligible candidates to consider applying this year.  The deadline is September 18th so be sure to get your applications in.

And to those communications practitioners who have not yet obtained your APR accreditation, the next APR cycle begins in December so start thinking about your application now. Visit the CPRS Accreditation page on our new website to learn more about the process, including the top 10 reasons to pursue accreditation.

And if all of that’s not enough activity for you, everyone can participate in the following:
Both registration and the call for presentations for the 2019 national conference, Evolving Expectations, open today. For your lowest rate to #CPRS2019, register by Oct. 1st to lock in last year’s rate. Then, if you’d like to be part of this year’s conference program, put together a great workshop proposal and submit it for consideration before Oct. 17th.  

Participate in two excellent PD webinars coming Sept. 24th and 25th at 1 PM(ET). First, Hélène Gagnon and Pascale Alpha of CAE will share an overview of the two-time Award of Excellence winning 70th Anniversary campaign. Then, join CPRS Vancouver president Johanna Ward, who’ll share her findings on the impact social media has had on the health care profession, which she originally presented to delegates of Connexions 2018. Learn more about these presentations in the Bill Rees Learning Centre.

I hope you’re able to take advantage of as many of these great offerings as you can this month and wish you the best on your journey towards furthering your professional development.

Dana Dean, APR, FCPRS LM
CPRS National President

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