Continuing Education for the Public Relations Professional

If you are employed, or are a student, in the public relations field, you are familiar with the trials and tribulations
that go along with the job. You are the first department to be cut when company budgets are slashed and you rarely get the
salaries you deserve.

Contrary to most company’s beliefs, public relations serve a vital function in vibrant companies. Public relations professionals
are the spokespeople for their companies and can make the difference in whether the company comes through unscathed during a
crisis or whether the company suffers from permanent setbacks.

Unfortunately, most companies give the title of Public Relations to junior staff members who have no idea how to interact
with the media and can make a company look amateur without trying. True public relations professionals go through a vigorous
continuing education program including earning advanced degrees and becoming accredited in public relations.

Accreditation in public relations is a designation that signifies that a public relations professional is indeed a professional
in the field and is able to take on any crisis that comes along. To earn accreditation, a public relations professional must
have significant experience in the public relations field, have a portfolio of past work, take a comprehensive exam about
the history of public relations and have an interview with accredited public relations professionals that critique each
answer.

When the public relations professional earns the accreditation designation, their work is far from over. They must adhere
to a person and professional code of ethics along with completing a certain amount of continuing education courses per year.
If they fail to do any part of this, the public relations professional can expect to lose their status and have the reputation
of their company and professionalism questioned for a long time to come.

If you are in the public relations field now, continue to gain experience and eventually look in to accreditation and
continuing education to advance your experience and knowledge in the field. You will continue to raise the status of public
relations in the corporate world and earn yourself respect in the process.

If you are accredited, you can also expect to command a higher salary at your future positions than if you were not accredited.
This is more than worth it to some professionals who want to make more money in their field without pursuing a Master’s
degree.

And if you are one of those people who do not believe that public relations serves a vital function in a company, take a
moment to pursue some continuing education on the subject. You will be guaranteed to find that it takes a dedicated and
ambitious person to pursue this career and your company would not be as great as it is without your marketing and public
relations department.

The moral of the story? Continuing education is important in any field, but especially in such a professional field like
public relations. It keeps just anyone from claiming to be a public relations professional.

How to Find Online Continuing Education Courses – It Is Easier Than You Think!

You have decided to take the plunge and pursue continuing education to get ahead in the job field. You have weighed the
pros and cons in your head over and over again and have decided that you want to break through the proverbial glass ceiling
and take your career to heights you never thought possible.

The problem? You cannot afford to take the time off from your work and family obligations to pursue your continuing education
dreams. Classes at night are usually several hours long and you cannot take classes during the day.

Colleges have heard your complaints and are beginning to offer degree programs for all types of life situations, including
online continuing education programs. These programs are just like any other type of educational program and many are even
accredited by the same accreditation boards that accredit more traditional degree programs.

There are two types of online degree programs: continuing education programs from traditional colleges and universities to
those that solely conduct their academic programs online. It is up to you to research the programs that interest you and
learn if they are really into it to educate you or if they are just trying to take advantage of students interested in
learning. Sadly, there are those types of people out in the world today looking to make a buck from your dreams. Make sure
that does not happen to you and research your options before your make a commitment to the continuing education program with
your hard earned dollars and cents.

You can find these programs by simply searching on your favorite search engine. A recent search on Google netted over 100
web pages dedicated to online degree programs and information to help students make decisions on these programs. There is
no shortage of information out there for you, it is finding the legitimate ones that takes a bit of work.

When you find a program that fits your interests, you should first check if they are accredited by a nationally recognized
accreditation board. If the are, proceed. If they are not, well, move on. Your credits would not be worth much more than a
piece of paper. Actually, the piece of paper may be worth more.

Once you find an accredited program, search the web to find information on student experiences. Look for the good, the bad
and the ugly to help you make your choice. You can also look at the Better Business Bureau to see their reports on the
college.

Lastly, before you proceed with the program, speak to someone about the college, preferably on the phone. If they are not
willing to speak to you on the phone regarding your interests, be wary of them.

It may take a lot of leg work for you to find the continuing education program of your dreams. But in the end, you will
find that all of the work and stress that comes along with choosing an online program is worth it in the end.