Professional Memberships

Lost_Prophet

Hey All,

What are the Pro's and Con's of joining a professional membership group?

I was thinking of either the International Professional Managers Association or something like that as I am young and am looking to progress my career into executive management

Cheers,

LP

phill99

There are a range of professional members organisations that are excellent and the leaders in their field. There are others that are nothing more than a money making scheme for the people that set them up, and are of no professional value whatsoever.

Any professional organisation that has received it's royal charter are normally the leaders in their field. Eg Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Royal Institute of British Architects etc. They allow membership only on attainment of certain qualifications (their own examinations, degrees etc) and by proving your competency in that particular field.

There are many professions where membership of the appropriate body is critical, and some where it is desirable. It shows potential employers, clients that you have reached a level of competency. The organisation also ave a range if other benefits such as networking events, research facilities, etc etc.

If you are going to join one, join one that has received it's royal charter. In the management field this is the Chartered management Institute (CMI). I would steer well clear of a 'send us a tenner and you're in' organisation.

KiKi

It depends on the value of the membership, and what it takes to achieve it, and what you want it for.

Take the CIPD, for example (chartered HR body). Professional membership means proving a standard at a particular level, either through qualification or an intensive 4 month assessment process. It is required for most HR and people development roles, and if you are self-employed it has a plethora of best practice tools to use. So if you want to progress in HR and don't have years of experience already at director level then it's absolutely worth it. However, affiliate membership of the CIPD only gives you access to the online resources, and is not a professional level of membership for progressing your career.

If you want to progress your career then you need a chartered organisation. I see literally hundreds of CVs each year of people with endless letters after their name, most of them just paid memberships for resources, but don't require you to demonstrate that you meet a particular level of attainment, so they don't tell me anything about the person. They don't tell me that the person is capable, meets a standard, has demonstrated best practice or has a certain level of experience. I ignore them.

If you're look at membership for management, I personally think the the Chartered Management Institute is better, and well recognised. The CMI sets good standards, and is pretty easy to join - but you can progress through membership levels depending upon your experience. It has lots of resources, and IMO is regarded pretty well by employers when it comes to management, esp larger employers.

And depending on what you do, the IoD is a networking body with meet ups and resources, and very worth joining if you meet the criteria - but they have very strict requirements (in terms of your role) rather than setting standards around what's required at senior management / director level.

For management, there are lots of general organisations that provide excellent academic research and material - which again, may be valuable if you need the information. But I personally would pursue one which shows you've reached a particular standard - it's much more tangible for employers, and CMI is good for that.

HTH
KiKi

Lost_Prophet

Thanks KiKi, that is brilliant that you took so much time to explain this. I will look into the CMI and add this to the considerations

BobQ

Lost_Prophet wrote: »

Thanks KiKi, that is brilliant that you took so much time to explain this. I will look into the CMI and add this to the considerations

Aminor consideration is that you can claim tax relief on subscriptions to most professional bodies.

Lost_Prophet

BobQ wrote: »

Aminor consideration is that you can claim tax relief on subscriptions to most professional bodies.

Is this for business owners though or for everyone?

KiKi

For everyone.

Mistral001

It depends on the profession and how highly it is regarded in the profession. Some associations set the bar very hard with regards to becoming a member and are generally regarded with respect within a profession and relevant business.

Some professional associations provide an opportunity to continue learning as they hold lectures and training seminars, so perhaps before considering joining one you could find out what events if any they hold.