Why Join a Professional Association

Professional associations exist for just about every industry and profession. For some professionals, there are several related professional associations. Many are international or national in scope, with regional or statewide chapters, and some with student chapters.

Professional associations offer a variety of benefits when you are job searching or exploring careers.

Networking
Opportunities abound to meet people who are working in the field in which you are interested. By attending meetings and/or serving in a leadership position, you will be able to build relationships with other members. Just by attending regularly, you’ll be able to meet people. There is always time before and after the formal part of the meeting to talk informally. Use this time to find out about current needs in the field and where your skills might fit best.

You can maximize the value of your membership by volunteering to help out on a committee or with registration. A friend of mine – a recent master’s level graduate – was seeking employment in a highly competitive field and, four months before graduation, joined the local chapter of the key professional association for his industry. He volunteered to be the meetings and events coordinator; he became quite well known and visible locally. He’s the one who got to introduce himself and the guest speaker at every meeting. Through networking and expanding his contacts, he found out about a position, was one of two finalists out of hundreds of applicants – and got the job! He believes that the exposure he gained made the critical difference resulting in his successful job search.

Continuing Education
Associations provide a variety of ways to help you keep up with trends in the field. These include training workshops and seminars, guest speakers, and conferences. Some offer discounts on books.

Information
Additional information including changes in businesses and in the marketplace, product development, new/emerging services, and key leaders is also available through membership in a professional association. The more you know about what’s happening in the industry and profession in which you want to be employed, the more knowledgeable and credible you will appear when networking, writing cover letters, or interviewing. You can gain this information in a variety of ways:

• Newsletters
• Industry publications (magazines and journals)
• Articles posted on web site
• Research reports
• Scholarships

Some associations offer scholarships or awards to student members. This is an often over-looked source of funding for tuition support.

Remember…
People most often want to hire people they know and people who are recommended by people they know. Professional association meetings offer consistent and ongoing opportunities for you to become known in your field. Joining is also a way to demonstrate your commitment to the field. The more people you know, and the more you know, the more effective your job search or career transition will be.

Internet Resource
The Internet Public Library’s guide to prominent organizations and associations.

Library Resource
The Encyclopedia of Associations

UML
Selected UML student organizations for career and professional networking are listed below. If you don’t see an association/organization related to your major, ask professors or see a career counselor in our office to help you identify professional associations for your field.

American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Advisor: John Walkinshaw

American Meteorological Society
Advisor: Frank Colby

Association for Computing Machinery
Special Interest Group in Computer Human Interaction
Advisor: Marian Williams

Bioinformatics Club
Advisor: Kenneth Marx

Biology Club
Advisor: Juliet Rooney Varga

Clarinet Society
Advisor: David Martins

Criminal Justice Student Society
Advisor: Alan Roscoe

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
Advisor: Mufeed Mahd

Music Entertainment Industry Student Association
Advisor:  Richard Strasser

National Society of Black Engineers
Advisor: Charles Thompson

Physical Therapy Graduate Club
Advisor: Gerard Dybel

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Advisor: Hector Valdes

Society of Physics Students
Advisor: Aram Karakashian

Society of Plastics Engineers
Advisor: Stephen Orooth

Plastics Graduate Student Organization
Advisor: Stephen Petrie

Solar Energy Association
Advisor: John Duffy

Student Nurse Association
Advisor: Jean Beauchamp