I heard today that I passed my third paper for my CIPR Diploma in Public Relations. I distinguished myself with a Merit on my personal project which focused on MPs who write blogs, and how it relates to two-way communication and PR theory.
It is a post graduate qualification and taught me the strategic roles and functions of the public relations practitioner. I find my new knowledge of great value on top of my journalistic and social media skills.
I was the only student in my group who personally funded herself, everyone else was sponsored by their company. It meant I had to succeed.
It was much more demanding than expected, and now I am keen to put my new knowledge into practice and hope it will help promote me professionally.
I decided to study this course after completing a year’s PG Cert in Applied Social Science Research Methods, which I passed with distinction, as a precursor for a post graduate degree. I wasn’t sure what to do next and thought it made sense to study for a qualification which would benefit me professionally.
I do enjoy learning as a mature student, though sometimes I think I’m a sucker for punishment, that I should just switch off and relax at evenings and weekends. I also do it to be a role model for my boys, to encourage them to study, to show them that if I can do it, so can they. Nothing is impossible.
I’m now wondering when and how to continue my plans for an MPhil with the Open University, but I need to develop a proposal which will interest me. I’m thinking about studying Eastern European countries and the impact of them joining the EU, whether it has changed their identify and culture in any way, but I’m still working on it.
Maybe I should take a break for a year.
Update 5 December: I’ve just discovered that if you Google MCIPR, I am No 1 in the world. How neat is that?
