In this age, when knowledge and information are king, and social infrastructure platforms are proliferating, professional membership organizations are becoming even more essential to the progress and professional development of public relations and communications professionals. With credit to American Express, membership has its privileges and rewards and membership organizations are a quick means to building a network.

The fact is that one’s professional network is the currency of today’s knowledge-based society. A strong network has many benefits that span career advancement, benchmarking, job performance, effective crisis management, on-the-job problem solving and a myriad of other factors where it pays to have a broad, deep and wide network of people with whom to collaborate and knowledge share.

One other interesting fact to consider: In today’s job market, roughly 70-80 percent of people who are landing jobs are doing so as a result of their networks. So it is both wise and prudent to have and maintain a network and be part of something bigger than “us.” My recommendation is to look at joining organizations that reflect your professional interests and aspirations. By joining, you have reason and rationale to stay in touch.

Continue reading " The Rewards of Membership "

Editor’s Note: The following communication from PRSA Chair and CEO Rosanna M. Fiske, APR, was sent Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, to PRSA’s Leadership Team, which includes Chapter presidents; Section and District leaders; Board of Directors Members; and other PRSA leaders.

Dear PRSA Leader,

As we continue to engage PRSA members regarding the proposed 2012 dues increase, a question we’re often asked is, “What new benefits will we receive in exchange for paying higher dues?”

Over the past 10 years, PRSA has steadily increased member value by adding new products, services and other member benefits — all without increasing the cost of PRSA membership. While we’ll continue to look for ways to enhance member value and hold costs steady in 2012, several new-member benefits may be possible with the incremental revenue the proposed dues increase will provide; most prominent among them are:

Webinars included free with PRSA membership. PRSA is making plans to offer its entire catalogue of professional development webinars to its members — for free — starting in 2012. This represents nearly $2,000 in annual savings for members who participate in one PRSA webinar per month. It’s also consistent with the findings of PRSA’s 2011 Membership Value Perception and Satisfaction Survey, which confirm the high value our members place on free webinars.

To aid our local Chapters, PRSA will develop webinars exclusively for Chapter use in creating local professional development programs. This new benefit also will aid our Chapters’ local recruiting efforts. By making the total cost of PRSA membership competitive with the non-member cost to view a single PRSA webinar, the small price difference will encourage non-members to become PRSA members.

Continue reading " Update on PRSA Dues Increase Proposal: New Member Benefits "

I was sitting in the Social Security office this morning girding myself for the uphill swim through bureaucratic paperwork to become an official “senior citizen.” Not overly optimistic about the prospect (of the “swim”), but faintly hopeful.

A bazillion years ago, I worked for the federal government, and I’ve been hauling a boatload of memories of the hoops I had to jump through to get my own business done as a public affairs specialist.

But now? Online pre-interview followed by a brief in-person wrap-up. Reasonably efficient and satisfactory. What a change in service!

While waiting for my name to be called, I started reflecting on my 30-year association with PRSA and the changes I’ve witnessed from the “being served” aspect of my professional life.

What improvements had I experienced that helped me do my job better? What changes had been implemented that helped me make a case for pursuing a particular course of action on behalf of my employer?

In looking back, I see clearly the ways in which I have turned to PRSA’s vast repository of resources for ideas or for validation of a course of action that I was proposing.

Continue reading " Are You Being Served? "

It hardly seems as though a year has passed since I began my service as PRSA’s 2009 chair and CEO.

There’s no doubt that the past 12 months have been extremely challenging for many of us. At the same time, it’s been a period of tremendous personal fulfillment for me. As a second-generation public relations counselor who literally grew up in and around the public relations profession, my term as chair and CEO has been a unique and incredible opportunity to give back to both the profession and organization that have given me so much.

Continue reading " 2009: A Year of New Beginnings at PRSA "

As 2009 Chair of the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), it’s my pleasure to lead a team of distinguished, senior-level public relations professionals who oversee and guide the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) program. With April having been designated “Accreditation Month” by PRSA, I’d like to share some of my personal thoughts on APR certification, and to answer a question that I’m frequently asked, which is, “What is the value of the APR mark?”

To give you a little bit of background, I’ve held my APR since 1995. When I began the journey toward Accreditation, I was pregnant with my daughter, who is now 14, so we both came through the process just fine.

Continue reading " The Role and Value of APR "