Lessons Learned Since Earning My APR

The greatest lesson I have learned since earning my APR is that the confidence and credibility gained from earning the credential is well worth the investment of pursuing it.

For me, the advantage of earning the Accreditation in Public Relations is how the process expanded my industry knowledge and how the credential increased my confidence in my ability to lead and advise others in this high-stakes profession.

Being an APR offers competitive differentiation, which is a marketable advantage when applying for jobs or pursuing new business. To learn that I was one of only about 4,500 active Accredited practitioners worldwide made me feel so distinguished. Earning my APR helped me feel limitless professionally, and that enthusiasm was likely the catalyst for the industry books, podcast, and column I’ve created since then.

It’s Never Too Late

I practiced public relations for about 16 years before I got my APR. About five years into my PR career, I was interested in learning about accreditation, so I attended a PRSA San Antonio class about it.

As a new pro, listening to professionals with so much more experience than me and looking through a big binder of APR information was intimidating. I had the capacity to invest in my education then, but because of my intimidation, I chose to pursue a master’s degree instead. I pursued my master’s because that credential

seemed more widely recognized and in higher demand for the supervisor-level jobs I wanted to advance to. But the APR stayed on my mind, and in 2019, I felt called to go back after it.

I committed to studying for my APR and taking the exam during the first half of 2020. Little did I know that the pandemic would turn life upside down that March. By that time, I was financially and emotionally invested in studying for the exam, so I was not going to quit. Luckily, I had presented to the APR panel group a day before the pandemic shutdowns began. After learning I passed the panel portion of the APR process, I emailed PRSA National and practically begged them to pivot and approve an online exam vendor as soon as possible.

By the summer, PRSA National had approved an online exam method, and I was able to take the virtual exam and pass it on the first try. I was supported by local mentors who had taken the exam a few times before passing, and their candid advice on what to study, and what not to study, really helped me.

Here are my top tips for approaching the test and exam to encourage anyone considering going for their APR. Go for it. 

Copyright [2026] The Public Relations Society of America San Antonio Chapter Byline Newsletter (www.prsanantonio.com). Reprinted with permission.