Accreditation: Motivating your members to become Accredited
By Mary Ann McCauley, ABC, member of the IABC/Minnesota chapter and marketing coordinator of the IABC Accreditation Board
Who should become accredited? Any communication professional who wants to. Assess your professional expertise through a balanced peer review process.
* Validate your level of expertise from peers who understand the real world of communication management and techniques.
* Challenge your best practices.
* Demonstrate leadership in the profession.
* Take advantage of the only global accreditation process.
If even one of these reasons to become accredited appeals to you, you are a candidate. The prerequisites are a minimum of five years' work experience and a bachelor's degree, or a total of nine years combined work/education experience. The process has three phases:
Phase One - Application - you submit a form and résumé to demonstrate you meet the minimum prerequisites. Half (US $112.50 or $200) accompanies the application of the application fee, US $225 for members, US $400 for non-members.
Phase Two - Qualification - you submit a portfolio of two work samples and detailed statements of objectives to demonstrate the range of communication experiences, your ability to plan and work strategically.
Phase Three - Examination - you take written and oral examinations that test your knowledge of communication management skills.
Each phase contributes to your total score. The portfolio is 25 percent, the written exam is 58 percent and the oral, 17 percent.
Details about the accreditation process, sample questions and other helpful hints are contained in "Becoming an Accredited Communicator." The brochure is available from IABC headquarters or at IABC's Web site, http://www.iabc.com.
Questions?
If you have specific questions on the accreditation program or its operation, please contact IABC world headquarters. E-mail the Customer Service Centre at service_centre@iabc.com.
[Source: IABC/Minnesota chapter.]
