Based upon the latest available IRS statistics, there are close to 300,000 non-profit charitable organizations with professional associations being a subset. Do you belong to one? If not, you might consider joining because it can augment your career path.
In my coaching practice, I review hundreds of resumes and LinkedIn profiles. My sample size reveals only 10% of clients belong to a professional association. For some reason, I believed the percentage would be in the 50% range, so this was quite a revelation.
Since my focus is technology executives, the most predominant association is the IEEE, who claims they are “the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.” My clients who belong are part of IEEE technical communities developing standards or speakers at one of their 1,800 annual conferences and events.
Professional Membership Fees
The IEEE qualifies as a tax-exempt organization as described under the US Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)3, which is eligible to receive charitable contributions meaning your membership dues are tax-deductible. Membership pricing varies by geography, professional vs. student status, and have an annual range from $75 to $500 depending on the industry. In 2020, the IEEE dues vary from $205 to $208, depending on your region. When my husband joined IEEE early in his career, GE and Corning Glass paid for his membership dues. You should check with your company to see if the same applies to you.
My Reasons for Joining
When I was a marketing professional at Sprint, I joined the American Marketing Association and attended local meetings in Kansas City. It was a monthly opportunity to network with those both inside and outside my company. From a learning perspective, there was a new topic discussed by a keynote speaker about industry trends. It helped me find future employees as well as look for my new employment opportunities nationwide. I recently joined the International Coach Federation association for continuing education opportunities, local Seattle chapter networking, and certification.
Benefits for You
In the 2018 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report conducted by Marketing General Incorporated of 821 associations, membership organizations are reporting year-over-year growth. Next year undoubtedly will look different due to high unemployment and closing businesses. In the study, association executives stated 58% joined to network with others in their field, and 26% signed up to learn best practices. After researching dozens of association websites, I compiled a grouping of benefits.
- Certifications
- Accredit a program https://coachfederation.org/about
- Certification program https://www.acmpglobal.org/page/member_benefits
- Join standards working group https://www.ieee.org/
- Discounts
- Conference discounts https://www.acmpglobal.org/page/member_benefits
- Discounts for conferences https://www.agilealliance.org/membership-benefits/
- Education & Learn Best Practices
- Get the latest news https://www.ieee.org/
- Posting your company’s training classes and events on their website https://www.agilealliance.org/membership-benefits/
- Resource library https://www.acmpglobal.org/page/member_benefits
- Webinars with experts and current trends https://www.acmpglobal.org/page/member_benefits
- Employment
- Career center https://www.acmpglobal.org/page/member_benefits
- Networking
- Collaborate with peers https://www.ieee.org/
- Find local activities and events https://www.ieee.org/
- Network and collaborate with technical professionals https://www.ieee.org/
- Practitioner directory https://www.acmpglobal.org/page/member_benefits
- Publishing
- Posting your book on their website https://www.agilealliance.org/membership-benefits/
- Publish a paper https://www.ieee.org/
- View research papers https://www.agilealliance.org/membership-benefits/
- Standards creation
- Help make technology safer, interoperable and sustainable for the future https://standards.ieee.org/content/ieee-standards/en/transformation/
- Volunteering
- Volunteer https://www.ieee.org/
- Volunteer opportunities https://www.agilealliance.org/membership-benefits/
Technical Associations
If the above benefits are of interest, you can find an excellent compilation of tech organizations by clicking on the URLs below:
Knowing that some of you have budget constraints, it might not be the best time to join a professional association. I’ve seen the benefits of supporting a career transition, as in the case of one client who wanted to focus on cybersecurity. He not only joined an association, but also became a Seattle chapter president, and is now working for a company as a cyber instructor.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of joining professional organizations.
