NEW PERSPECTIVES

If you’re like most members of voluntary professional associations, you question the value of your membership when you get your annual renewal notice. You also take some measure of value every time you interact with the association.

This is all well and good since the volunteer leaders of CPRS Toronto are accountable to the members for responding to your expressed needs and interests, delivering relevant programs and services, and advancing the profession of public relations.

Another fundamental fact about associations is that members derive more value by getting involved than they do by being passive.

Our member surveys show time and again that individuals who take advantage of networking, professional development programs, awards, accreditation, volunteer opportunities, etc. are much more satisfied with the value of their association than those who do not.

This fact will come as no surprise to public relations practitioners who communicate daily with active and latent publics. This widely-cited article describes the multiple stages of latency, Inactive Publics: The Forgotten Publics in Public Relations, finding among other things that there is a direct correlation between an individual’s perception of an organization’s relevance and their degree of personal involvement.

If you are not involved or you need a reason to re-engage, here are a few ideas to get you started:

New professionals

• Take advantage of networking, internship and job postings over the summer by updating your email address with the CPRS Toronto office when you graduate and are no longer using your school email address. Our member benefits don’t stop when your classes do!
• Take advantage of the CPRS Toronto research collection, or order a case study on a topic of interest from our national learning library.
• Request a mentor (or get back in touch to get more out of the match).

Intermediate practitioners

• Take steps toward becoming accredited in public relations. Read this article if you need a good reason to take this on, Accredited vs. non-accredited: The polarization of practitioners in the public relations profession.
• Submit your work to peer-review in consideration for an award for excellence in communications.
• Expand your professional network and round out your resume as a volunteer with CPRS Toronto.

Senior practitioners

• Help us to shore up the public relations brand by bringing slander to our attention – both CPRS Toronto and CPRS National are engaging media and other stakeholders who make inappropriate references to public relations practice.
• Lead the way by volunteering for local, national or international initiatives.
• Share your experience and knowledge as a guest lecturer at a public relations degree-granting institution in the GTA.

• Consume every free professional development program that we offer and attend in person those PD events that are relevant to your practice.
• Read the annual report to the members and exercise your member vote.
• Come out to our celebrations. Never miss a free event!

Please also give us feedback. Be specific about what’s working and what’s not. Contact any of your volunteer board members directly or write to our helpful staff.