step so I could avoid a blow to my ego if I failed. As the date of my case study grew closer, the word was out on my endeavor. A colleague who had earned their PCAM designation gave me their best advice—take time off to focus on the exam. Considering there were 30 days to complete the paper, I figured two weeks would be enough time to focus on writing the paper with the final two weeks spent reviewing and editing in the evening after work.
The Execution – The Case Study in Action I was sweating on the first day, literally. We were introduced to the host community by way of a video tour, and it was massive. I could feel my blood pressure rise as we learned about the several challenges they were facing with their operations, the politics between the board members and homeowners, and their ongoing battle with a third-party entity located inside their own gates. Did I mention that the host community was in a completely different state? With my expertise being limited to only California, a heavily regulated state, I had no idea what the statutory requirements would be elsewhere, or even how the different climate would factor in. The second day was similar to the first, and then we were presented with the exam questions.
After the first week, I felt like I was failing to manage my time effectively. I had one week left before going back to work and had only gotten through two of the 10 questions. I am privileged enough to have a supportive leadership team who without hesitation offered me more time to focus on the paper. I assessed my progress and what I still needed to complete. From there, I reallocated my time and adjusted my strategy.
Getting Vulnerable I found myself becoming frustrated about the lack of information available and failing to fall back on my natural instinct to work with what I had as a community manager. I questioned myself a lot and doubted everything I had learned over the past 15 years I spent in the industry. I was treating the exam as if my job security was at risk, forgetting the true nature of the task – a test. In the days leading up to the deadline, I wanted to quit. I convinced myself I had quit and walked away, but my ego got the best of me. An hour later, I was back at my laptop because I couldn’t let anyone know I failed. I pushed myself to the limit until the moment the paper was due. 165 pages later, I had only
completed 90% of my paper and was out of time. I submitted my incomplete paper confident I failed. After 30 days had passed, I wasn’t surprised that my result hadn’t arrived. This meant my exam failed the first round of reviews and was on to the second.
The Result On the 40th day after my paper was submitted, the emailed result landed in my inbox. By this point I was unfazed as I knew the result. Surely, I failed. Distracted by my work, I forgot about the email until a few hours had passed. When I finally opened the email, I was stunned. I had to re-read it several times to make sure I was seeing what I saw. I passed the case study and was awarded the PCAM designation. Finally, I could allow my body to release all of the stress and anxiety I had built up over the course of this experience, and celebrate.
I always knew achieving the PCAM designation would be hard, and I always admired those who did. Meeting a PCAM designee was like seeing a unicorn since there are only 67 managers with an active PCAM designation in Orange County today. After going through this experience myself, I have a newfound level of respect for my mentors who achieved theirs before me because I know what it took to earn it. By the same token, I continue to admire those who are motivated to follow the same path.
My hope is for this article to provide insight into what it takes to earn this prestigious credential and the emotional and professional hurdles along the way. Keep an eye out for a continuation of this article in the next edition, as I aim to provide guidance to those ready to dive into this final step based on my experience throughout the process and to offer tips I wish I had before I began.
Going through the PCAM case study was an intense, eye- opening experience. It tested my limits in ways I never expected. Looking back, I now see what worked, what didn’t, and what I would have done differently. In the next article, I’ll share the strategies I developed along the way that helped me push through challenges, stay on track, and ultimately succeed. If you’re preparing for this journey, you shouldn’t miss it!
“Each case study is difficult in its own way. It is designed
to challenge managers to use their critical thinking skills and every ounce of knowledge they’ve gained throughout their career.”
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