Blogs

January 15, 2021

Reflection for Radical Planners

A Guide for the Idealist post: Planners need to be more reflective about their practice, and radical planners might adopt different reflective frameworks.

A Path to an Enlightened Planning Future

Incoming AICP President Mitchell Silver outlines upcoming changes to the AICP certification program that represent continued evolution and relevance to the needs of planners and communities.

November 13, 2020

Reflective Planning: Navigating Idealism and Realism

A Guide for the Idealist post: The value of professional reflection is widely recognized, but how do you do it? A new book looks at how to develop reflective habits.

November 13, 2020

AICP Digital Credentials: A New Benefit for an Online World

Tips for making the most of the AICP digital credential.

October 26, 2020

APA Offers Resources for Planning Careers

APA's Career Center resources can help members who want to learn more about planning career options, those who are comfortably on their personal career path, and others at a career crossroads.

Being an Idealist in Difficult Times

A Guide for the Idealist post: Challenging times may challenge idealist commitments but they endure with a focus on higher ideals of justice, truth, and beauty.

Changing Planning Practices to Honor George Floyd

A Guide for the Idealist post: Planners of all types have a role to play in addressing racial injustice by connecting each decision to its effects on the whole community.

May 29, 2020

Cultivating Planning Career Resilience

The pandemic has caused a delay in the job search processes, leaving many challenges for recent grads and job seekers. In this Guide for the Idealist post, get ideas on how to keep moving forward with optimism.

May 6, 2020

Career Navigation from NPC20 @ Home

An online Career Zone marked the conclusion of NPC20 @ Home.

April 20, 2020

Leading Remotely in a Crisis

Get 10 tips for how to be a strong, flexible leader when your team is working remotely — plus a rundown of technology to get the job done.

March 27, 2020

Career Advice for Recent Grads: Navigating the Pandemic

New Grads: Here are recommendations for your job search and career aspirations in the time of COVID-19.

January 10, 2020

Reflex or Reflexivity: Which One Is Good for Planners?

A Guide for the Idealist post: Practicing reflexivity — asking "why" in the middle of things — is a skill worth developing for planners.

December 13, 2019

Spinning Planning Experience into Practical Wisdom

A Guide for the Idealist post: Spending time reflecting on your planning experiences will develop a storehouse of practical wisdom that supports real-time practice decisions.

November 8, 2019

English Planning: The Fruits of 10 Years of Austerity and Reform

English planner Peter Geraghty offers American planners a personal view of what things are like for their colleagues in the United Kingdom.

October 15, 2019

Time Triage for Planning Managers

A Guide for the Idealist post: Determining priorities and managing time are skills worth developing for new planning managers.

October 1, 2019

Seal of Expertise, Credibility, and Ethics: Benefits of AICP Certification

APA Board member Wendy Shabay, AICP, finds that there's a direct correlation between the AICP credential and the success her firm has had building relationships with local communities.

September 20, 2019

5 Keys to Igniting Your Job Search

Career coach and author Samorn Selim offers her top strategies to stay motivated during a job search.

August 6, 2019

Negotiation Skills Are a Must for Planning Managers

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Negotiation skills are a must for planning managers, both inside the office and in the community.

July 24, 2019

Emerging Professionals Plug Planning Across Borders

SRC Chair Rachael Thompson Panik and Past Chair Ellen Forthofer recently traveled to Ottawa, Canada, to speak on a panel of young professional leaders in APA and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP).

Planners, Here Are Your Keys to Successfully Facilitating Meetings

Meeting facilitation is a vital skill for planners' career success, but it takes a lot of practice to learn the key techniques.

July 9, 2019

First-Time Planning Manager? Let Go, Step Up

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: New planning managers need to know when to let go and when to step up.

July 1, 2019

International Planners: Tips on Finding a Job in the U.S.

The vice-chair of APA's International Division, Jing Zhang, shares his job search tips for international students on visas who want to stay and work in the U.S.

April 8, 2019

Career Ordeals Await — You Can Build Resilience

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Be on the lookout for obstacles and ordeals that can help you be a more resilient planning professional.

March 26, 2019

The Road to FAICP – A Woman’s Perspective

APA’s Women and Planning Division has committed to the goal of inducting women into the AICP College of Fellows at the same rates as men by the year 2040.

March 18, 2019

(Kind of) Speaking Clearly on the Job

"Guide for the Idealist" blog post: For planners, a careful choice of words conveys meaning and communicates confidence in your recommendations.

March 18, 2019

Enhancing the Value of the AICP Credential

The American Institute of Certified Planners is invaluable to all planners as they establish, grow, and excel in their careers.

February 11, 2019

Do You Plan With Caution or Courage — or Both?

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: In the career of every planner, there is tension between personal hopes and preferences and the constraints of the process.

January 8, 2019

Did I Take the Wrong Job?

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: What to do when you start a new job with high expectations and smack up against a reality that is much more complicated.

November 20, 2018

Picking the Path to Your Next Promotion

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Positioning yourself for a promotion requires forethought. If the timing is good and you're ready, here are three approaches.

November 13, 2018

AICP Candidate Pilot Program: Year One by the Numbers

The AICP Candidate Pilot program provides planners fresh out of college an opportunity to pursue AICP Certification while they gain their professional planning experience.

November 7, 2018

A Guide to Using Your Planning Skills Abroad

Get tips on how to focus your search to work abroad, and read about some planners' experiences in finding work in the U.S.

October 16, 2018

I'm an Underworked Planner and I'm Losing Heart

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Exploring the other side of being too busy. What does the lack of job responsibilities mean for your career?

October 5, 2018

Gain by Giving Back: 10 Reasons to Volunteer for Your Career

Angela Cleveland, AICP, shares 10 reasons why volunteering is a good career move.

September 25, 2018

9 Ways to Know If Your Work Is Consuming You

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Reflective self-knowledge can help you tell the difference between hard work and all-consuming work.

September 12, 2018

Tips for the Overworked Planner

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Practical tips on how to manage the pressures of professional practice to avoid overwork.

August 14, 2018

APA Ambassador Highlights Planning on Palm Springs Career Day

APA Ambassador Kimberly Glas-Castro, AICP, excites students about planning as a career choice.

August 13, 2018

The Workplace Conspiracy Against Change

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Tips for planners on how to be effective change-makers. Take a broad view of the change process and your role.

July 24, 2018

Reframing Anxiety

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Useful anxiety in your planning practice deepens you and reminds you of the importance of choices.

July 10, 2018

Moving Into Planning Management

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Tips for planners entering into management.

June 19, 2018

Mentoring Is a Two-Way Street

Whit Blanton, FAICP, makes the case for mentoring and being mentored at the mid-point of your career.

June 5, 2018

7 Answers to Questions About Mentoring

A "Guide for the Idealist" post: Answers to common questions about mentoring. Mentors can help you interpret events, reflect on your practice, make decisions, and see the bigger picture.

June 5, 2018

The Benefits of Mid-Career Mentoring

Mentoring is not just for students. The Suncoast Section of APA's Florida Chapter offers a Coaching for the Advancement for Mid-Level Planners (CAMPs) Program that provides mentor opportunities to help make the move into planning leadership.

May 16, 2018

5 Scenarios for "Reading" Your Supervisor

A "Guide for the Idealist" blog post: An important career management ability is to see circumstances and issues through your supervisor’s eyes. They are not only managing you, they are managing a process.

May 1, 2018

Finding Your Way to the Best Planning Job

A "Guide for the Idealist" blog post: Choosing from among a variety of planning jobs can be made easier by doing research and assessing the employer.

March 27, 2018

Trust: A Must-Have for Credibility, Influence, and Power

A "Guide for the Idealist" blog post: Trust is a prerequisite to credibility, influence, and power and underlies effectiveness in your role as a planner.