I've just spent a very interesting evening at the London School of Economics with two colleagues from Edelman speaking with Grads about a career in PR. In the past few hours, I've been asked lots of insightful questions about my daily job, what time I get up in the morning, and how the PR industry has weathered the recession. I was also asked, on a number of occasions, to give my opinion on the worth of a CIPR qualification. Here is my opinion; a CIPR qualification demonstrates reading comprehension and theoretical thinking. If you want to work in PR, demonstrate your passion through work experience and your intimate knowledge of public engagement via Twitter, Edelman blogs, etc. A qualification is a nice to have, but really it is just a piece of paper.