Buddy programme gives CIPR members a Chartership confidence boost

Becoming chartered is a natural career step for many comms professionals but two years ago, research by CIPR showed that lack of confidence and self-doubt was stopping some talented individuals from applying for the assessment.

In April 2022, during the inaugural Chartership Week, the organisation unveiled an informal buddy programme to help tackle these barriers. More than 90 chartered practitioners have volunteered to become buddies, assisting members as they approach their assessment day or helping others decide if Chartership is right for them.

John Clegg is an internal communications and engagement manager at the Institution of Chemical Engineers, and chair of the CIPR Not-for-Profit committee. Leading up to his Chartership assessment, which he passed in March, John reached out to two buddies: Dan Holden, communication consultant at All Things IC and chair of the CIPR Inside group; and Gemma Pettman, an independent PR advisor and member of the CIPR Not-for-Profit group.

Having worked in internal comms for 10 years, getting chartered felt like a natural progression for John. But he also wanted to prove to himself that he knew what he was talking about.

“So often we drift along in our careers and if you don’t have any sort of qualification or accreditation, you can develop imposter syndrome. Chartership was a way of reinforcing to myself that yes, I do know what I’m talking about,” he says.

The Chartership assessment day is held as a group. It focuses on three assessed competencies – ethics, strategy and leadership – around a discussion of three case studies and questions, which are sent to the candidates a fortnight earlier. There’s also a peer review of candidates’ continuing professional development (CPD) plans. 

“Dan advised me on how to develop my CPD plan and shared his experience of becoming chartered,” says John. “He explained that the assessors were keen to hear about our experiences and suggested that ahead of receiving the case studies and questions, I look through my CV and consider the projects that directly relate to leadership, ethics and strategy. 

“One of the reasons I’d reached out to him is because, coming from an internal comms background, I worried that I hadn’t done a lot of work around ethics. But when I reviewed my experience, I realised I had lots of ethical situations I could draw from. Ethics isn’t just about public affairs or lobbying.”

Despite his preparation, two nights before the assessment John had a massive anxiety attack. Gemma calmed his nerves by calling out his imposter syndrome.

“She made me realise I was well prepared and advised that I see the assessment as an opportunity to spend the day in conversation with colleagues about professional experience and theoretical approaches to different situations. It was a long day but Gemma was right and I left elated.”

John, who has signed up to become a buddy too, sees the programme as an opportunity to give back to the profession. “It’s a duty, a responsibility and a privilege to help people to follow in our tracks, just as those who came before us helped us out,” he says.

It’s not a competition             

John is one of more than a dozen practitioners who Dan has helped as a buddy.

“I got chartered in 2020 and I was lucky to have chartered practitioners in my network who I could ask for advice,” says Dan. “If I hadn’t turned to them, I think I would have gone into my assessments with a lot more fear, worry and the wrong mindset. Not everyone has such links, which is why I was keen to become a buddy.”

Dan advises those considering the accreditation to consider why you are thinking about chartership, where are you at in your career now and what benefits do you think chartership will bring?

A misconception among many members is that their experience isn’t broad or long enough to be eligible for Chartership, he explains.

“Some internal communicators worry that because they’ve only worked in one field in PR, they might be required to know about social media or public affairs. But I reassure them that you’re not being assessed against the whole public relations criteria, you’re being assessed on what you know around it.”

Another common question Dan is asked is whether you need to know lots of models, frameworks and swat up on academic books. 

“People worry that it’s more about theory than the practice but chartership is about wanting to hear your experiences underpinned by an awareness of theory.” 

“The assessment isn’t a competition either. It’s not several of you fighting to outperform each other for a limited number of chartered places. If everyone’s up to the bar, you could all come away with your Chartership.”

Hushing the imposter 

Another PR professional who credits chartership with quietening her imposter syndrome is Janhavi Joshi. Having quit her job in the UAE in July 2022, Janhavi returned home to India before relocating to the UK last November. Despite 12 years’ PR experience, a degree in biotech and a masters in marketing, the short career break and moving to a new country knocked her confidence.

“The most brilliant communicators come from the UK and I felt like an outsider, especially because lots of job adverts ask for a communications degree or a journalism background,” she says. 

“I think another reason for my imposter syndrome was my race. I hadn’t seen a lot of people of colour getting chartered and I was shocked when I read the CIPR study which showed the lack of diversity within our industry.”

However, when two other people of colour from her network did become chartered, she too was motivated to become accredited. “Nasifa Ali Shafiq’s and Adeeba Hussain’s achievement inspired me. I reached out to them, they answered all of my questions and I was reassured that taking the assessment was right for me.”

She passed in February this year, starts a new job at a hotels group next month and has volunteered to be a buddy to other prospective candidates.

“Chartership lends credibility to my profile. It helped hush my imposter syndrome and realise that I have a lot to offer with my diverse background and experience,” she says. “As communicators we’re so used to working behind the magician’s curtain and projecting other people’s stories, that when it comes to us putting ourselves out there as comms leaders, we hesitate.

“When people saw that I got chartered, they reached out to pick my brains, asked how difficult it was and what they could learn from my experience. I see the buddy programme as a stepping stone that could help more people of colour choose to become chartered and as a result help others join the profession.

“It can be daunting to reach out to a person you don’t know but be assured you’re not asking silly questions and you’re not wasting anyone’s time. Buddies want to help.”

You know more than you think

Giuseppina Valenza, head of policy and communications at Tandridge District Council, became chartered in 2019. She has been a buddy to three communications professionals and says the scheme can make the assessment feel less daunting to potential candidates.

“The thought of being tested on what you think you should know, can feel quite scary and someone might avoid signing up to the assessment for fear of failing. But when I’ve spoken to people about getting chartered, they know far more than they think they do,” says Giuseppina, who is also the budget manager of the CIPR Local Public Services group.

“In communications we tend to undervalue and underestimate our skills and abilities, because it's just what we do,” she adds.

With buddies working in all areas of the public relations industry, there’s a wealth of knowledge for members to tap into. 

“The people I’ve helped are in the public sector too. I think it’s helpful to them because I understand their background and can help them relate their experiences to the assessment,” says Giuseppina.

Many people worry that they don’t have the strategic, ethical or the leadership knowledge, but buddies can help them get past that way of thinking, she adds.

“It’s about reassuring them that they’re already using those skills in their work ­– they just don’t label it as ‘I’m thinking strategically now’ or ‘I’m in a leadership role now’. So together we’ll look at how they approach their work and then provide examples both from their working life and externally. 

“To help them think about the subject more broadly, I might send them an example of an influencer who’s done something they shouldn’t – and the impact of that on a brand or company reputation – or a blog about AI.”

Giuseppina also knows that receiving the case study questions can be overwhelming for candidates, so she offers to work with them to help break down what’s being asked and how it relates to their experience.

“I remember receiving my questions and thinking, ‘How am I going to answer this?’ But the questions are just to get you thinking about an area, rather than having an exam answer prepared. You’re assessed in a group and once the discussion [of the case studies] flows, the conversation becomes more fluid.”

Ultimately, the buddy programme plays a part in boosting the credibility of the profession that chartership brings, she adds.

“Unlike, say, accountancy, everyone thinks they can communicate. Having that Chartership accreditation and recognition helps gives communications more credibility and professionalism. The more people who get chartered, the more it raises the profile of public relations and helps reflect the importance and value of what we do.”

Find out more about becoming a Chartered PR Practitioner. Register your interest in Chartership to receive a digital ‘#GetChartered Kit’ and if you book a chartership assessment by 31 August 2023, you'll receive exclusive access to a ‘Personal Impact Boosters’ webinar with CIPR trainer and executive coach, Dannie-Lu Carr.