Announcing IABC/Toronto’s 2011 Accreditation College

It’s not too late to sign-up for IABC/Toronto’s 2011 Accreditation College starting November 25th!

Yes, the Accreditation College IS the best way to earn your ABC!

Employers are catching on to the value of accreditation, with more and more Careerline postings now looking for accredited applicants. Don’t be left behind! Earn your ABC the step-by-step way through our Accreditation College and count yourself among IABC/Toronto’s exclusive group of 110 accredited members – many of whom are graduates of the College.

IABC/Toronto’s Accreditation College demystifies the accreditation process by providing hands-on, practical workshops that take you through each step of the process. Sponsored by Weber Shandwick, this five-session program guides you and your peers through the three stages of accreditation: application, portfolio and exam. You’ll have a chance to learn from seasoned ABCs, and benefit from the knowledge and experience they will share.

A personal accredited mentor can also be arranged to coach you through the process.

The cost of the program is just $50 plus HST for IABC/Toronto members, which covers administrative costs (the introductory session is free to members – if you choose to continue in the College, the fee applies).

Information on the accreditation process can be found at: http://www.iabc.com/abc/prospective/

Register today!If you want to register for the Accreditation College, simply send an e-mail to toronto-info@iabc.com and include your name, e-mail address and phone number.

The program includes several informative sessions with credentialed guest speakers.

Thursday, November 25, 2010, 6 p.m., Weber Shandwick Offices, 207 Queen’s Quay Terminal, 4th Floor

Accreditation overview – come out to learn more about the process, and bring your completed accreditation application (available on www.iabc.com). Applications will be compiled and sent to IABC world headquarters to receive a group discount. There will also be a discussion about portfolio submissions – how to identify which project you should submit and tips on the best way to manage the accreditation process. Bring your two portfolio submission ideas to discuss.

December (Date and Time TBC)

An interactive workshop on setting measurable objectives and results for the portfolio submission. Bring your draft statement of objectives and we’ll walk through these examples as well as some from winning award submissions and past portfolios. We’ll also provide tips and best practices on writing the rest of the submission.

January (Date and Time TBC)

Bring your draft portfolios, which you will exchange with a colleague. You will then evaluate each other’s strategic approach using actual portfolio grading sheets and provide feedback. A general discussion will follow.

February (Date and Time, TBC)

Submission night and ethics quiz – bring your completed portfolio, which will be sent to IABC International in San Francisco for evaluation. You will also complete the ethics quiz, which will be reviewed as a group.

May – TBC

Exam preparation night. Learn useful tips on handling the written and oral exam from College faculty and recent ABC ‘graduates’.

June or July – TBC

On a date to be determined, you will complete the written and oral examinations. If you pass, you will be accredited by the end of the year.

Register today!
If you want to register for the Accreditation College, simply send an e-mail to toronto-info@iabc.com and include your name, e-mail address and phone number.

IABC/Toronto Accreditation College – FAQ’s

The IABC/Toronto Accreditation College Information Night will answer most of the questions that candidates have in advance of pursuing accreditation.  Most of those questions can be answered at the iabc.com site, follow this link to learn all of the basics: www.iabc.com/abc/prospective

There are also some FAQ’a candidates have in advance of attending even the information session.  Here are a few:

How will the College help me reach my accreditation goal?

Above is information outlining the structure and College sessions. Beyond this support, the College also offers the added-value of peer-to-peer camaraderie, a mentor from IABC/Toronto’s accredited member list who can provide added counsel and the value of having regular checkpoints along the way to ensure you are meeting mini-deadlines, rather than taking it all on at once.

I work in the xxxxxxx industry.  How will the College meet my specific needs?

The College provides general counsel and information on how to navigate the Accreditation process, but the process itself is accessible for people with a variety of experiences. The onus is on the candidate to tailor their portfolio to meet the requirements, but the College faculty can provide individual counseling at the sessions to help candidates see how best they can do that.

What about mentors? And will I be able to get a mentor from my field of expertise?

Included with the College is the opportunity to be partnered with an ABC for ongoing counsel and guidance on the process in general and the portfolio submission in particular. We ask College candidates for their mentor preference and then do a call for volunteers from within the Toronto chapter’s ABC group. We can’t guarantee a perfect match, but we do try to find one that is most applicable for the candidate.

I did work in xxxxxx area. Would this qualify for a portfolio submission?

Most people who qualify to pursue accreditation have within their experience a project or project that can be used as a submission. This will be covered in great detail at the Information Session and we encourage candidates to come that night to discuss their experience and portfolio criteria.

Is there a fee to attend the information session?

No. The information session, being held on Thursday, November 18, 2010, is an opportunity for candidates to learn more about the accreditation journey. On that night, we’ll collect completed ABC applications and College registrations from those interested in participating in the College. Fees for that process are: Accreditation College – $50 plus HST – cheque or money order made payable to IABC/Toronto. We will also accept credit card numbers but need a signature on the complete College registration form that will be handed out at the information session.

Is there a fee for accreditation and how does that work?

The fee schedule is as follows:

• IABC Member: US$320
• Non-member: US$530
• Accreditation Join & Go: US$620

There is a group discount (members only):

• 5-15 people – US$288
• 16-31 people – US$256

This fee is sent to IABC Headquarters in the US, which accepts credit card payment and money order in US dollars only, payable to IABC.

We will take completed application forms and payment from interested candidates at the information session. Those who don’t have completed documents that night will have about a week to submit them to us so that we can send what is required to the US together in one package.

What needs to go on the Accreditation application?

Download the application by going to:  www.iabc.com/abc/prospective/application/

Rather than fill out work history, you will attach a copy of your current resume

What should I bring to the session?

• Completed Accreditation application form and credit card or money order
• Completed College registration form
• Ideas for portfolio submission

NOTE: We will have copies of the forms at the session and candidates will have an additional week to submit their forms and payment.

I can’t make it the night of the Info Session, can I still get information?

If there are a number of interested candidates who cannot make the Information Night, the faculty will consider a follow-up conference call to brief prospective candidates on the process. It’s not a guarantee though so we strongly encourage anyone interested to attend that night.

I want to register for the Information Session. What do I do?

If you want to register for the Accreditation College, simply send an e-mail to toronto-info@iabc.com and include your name, e-mail address and phone number.

Where is the session being held?

At the Weber Shandwick head office: 207 Queen’s Quay West, Suite 400, Queen’s Quay Terminal Building at the foot of York Street; parking is available from the east, on the north side of Queen’s Quay and from the West on the south side of Queen’s Quay. Please take the elevators at the south end of the building to the 4th floor (glass elevators near the restaurants); don’t be distracted by the elevators in the front lobby at the north side of the building.

How long are the sessions?

Each session ranges from about 60-90 minutes.

If you would like more information on the
Accreditation College, please contact:

Lisa Bednarski, ABC

Director, Accreditation

IABC/Toronto

toronto-profstandards@iabc.com