Accredited Practitioner and a full member of the CIPR.
I joined my professional organisation the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in January 2010. I had been interested in joining the institute for a while but it was always difficult to decide between CIPR and the Chartered Institute of Marketing as I deliver marketing activities as part of my work. In recent years my business focus has been to grow the PR work that I do, I enjoy PR work and this drives me.
In 2010 I had over six years of PR experience so I joined the institute as a full member. Annually I complete a rigorous continuous professional development (CPD) programme and was awarded ‘Accredited Practitioner’ status in January 2012.
Importantly I adhere to the CIPR ‘Code of Conduct’. My business is reputation management and I am accountable for my own professional standards. The ‘Code of Conduct’ gives a framework to support practitioners who are honest and have the highest standards of professional integrity.
The media is undergoing rapid change, social media is exploding and the virtual business world is expanding. Through CPD I am monitoring how I update my skills and develop my expertise. I am a PR practitioner who understands the reality of demanding and changing media.
Through the CIPR I have access to the best training to refresh and boost my PR skills. I have attended courses with Judi Goodwin. It was great having the time to learn, network and think about best practise. Judi is brilliant at getting people to unleash their writing power and creativity.
I am a creative person, I have a degree in 3D design, I love thinking up new ideas and creating the perfect photo/image for a client. I also talk a lot, Twitter and can argue my corner with anyone. It was a revelation to me that my writing could be as effortless as talking and my visual creativity could easily flow into the written word.
CIPR membership offers me a great opportunity to network with fellow PR practitioners. I regularly attend many events as I always learn something new and am building my network across the North West. Networking can lead to collaborative working and I appreciate working in association with fellow PR practitioners and marketers. More information on business networking can be found in my Blog post ‘10 Reasons…Network‘.
I am up to date with industry news and PR issues. Through CIPR I have access to research, reports, key trends and PR opinion.
It is important for me to be part of the North West Regional CIPR committee. The group was awarded the title CIPR Group of the Year 2010 and I hope that I can continue to support them. They are a great group of PR people and it is worth the trips to Manchester to join in.
Through my CIPR membership I upgrade my skills and understanding through CPD. Training courses expand my business offer and boost my PR skills. I network with other practitioners building contacts and collaborative working. Membership to CIPR supports my business ideals and integrity.