Joining a Professional Organization - any value ?

These benefit both employee and employer, as they help keep their members abreast of developments in their field and add credibility, and provide access to a broad array of experience and expertise. In addition, local chapters provide good in-person networking opportunities. I would suggest you select one or two organizations that are a good match for you and your employer. If you make a good business case, your employer may pay for your membership.

Good luck.

Craig Herberg

Like most things, just joining a professional organization will not give you opportunity to enjoy its greatest potential. Becoming active, on the other hand, can open many doors for you during your career.

Like many other facets of business, it's not always what you know, but who you know that will get you in the door to your dream job. Using some professional organizations to get to "NETWORK" or know people may be the key to getting to the next step in your career.

Good Luck.

Just an old adage I learned a long time ago from a friend and could be the main reason to join in and of itself! Also the info you pick up as a member could be very usefull to either you or a [potential] employer.

I really wonder how many jobs are won or people that have moved up in the world by titles on a resume?

In my experience, joining one or more of the professional
organizations available to your particular field opens door to
services (email, insurance, job opportunities) and activities
related to your field that are ultimately invaluable.

For the IT field, ACM membership is one of the best.
Additionally, for those in the IT field who are Electrical
Engineers, membership in IEEE has numerous benefits, including
extensive technical magazines and a comprehensive insurance
program.

I have been a member of both since college (not paid by my
employer) - a cost-effective investment, in my opinion.

I'm not an IT Tech but I can tell you this:
The vast majority of corporations couldn't care less how good you are at your job or what your future potential is. What they're concerned with is the greatest immediate advantage for the lowest possible expenditure.
If you can find a 'labor' organisation with the right agenda it's likely worth the price of dues to be a member.
This is part of looking out for YOU.
Lots of IT professionals are flipping burgers or emptying trash cans just to be able to eat.

If you join a professional organization for the networking, and to exchange ideas you might not get in your current company/position, then they are worth it. If you join just to put something on your resume then no, they are not unless you can show some accomplishment that you drove with the organization, like increasing it's membership 30% in the last year.

You get what you put into these organizations. Nobody who is going to hire you for anything other than the lowliest grunt positions cares if you are on one, none or ten of these (nobody you want to work for, anyway). They care about your ACCOMPLISHMENTS, be they at work or in a professional organization.

I have had several paid memberships to orgs and the one that I have gotten the most bennefit from is ISC2. Of course, you ned to pass a test and fork up $400, but the cert they give carries enough weight that it is required for many infosec positions. The New England Information Security User Group is free and is probably the best I've been associated with with regards to resources and people networking. (Check out bostonusergroups.com for a list of these in different areas of interest).

What I have learned is that the closer the group is to your interests the bigger the bang for the buck. I did ACM, NCSA and IEEE and for me they didn't do so good, not enough convergence with my interests. Consider what you want the group to do for you and then do some research.

When looking at resumes I don't put a lot of weight on non-certifying organizations but do put weight on those that certify. Those that don't certify usually only require money and that doesn't count for anything on a resume except that you might know how to write a check or use a charge card.
Just my opinion.

In the IT sector, I cannot see much point in being a member of a professional organization. I have asked my clients a number of times over the years, and *not a single one* of them has ever heard of any IT pro organizations.

One of the draws for me going into IT is that it is a very objective business -- either you can make the computer/server/network work, or you can't!

I've been working with PCs, networks, and servers of all kinds for over two decades now, and have built a very respectable client base based on (1) word of mouth and (2) the fact that I *can* make the computers work.

I feel that professional organizations in the end are very similar to unions in that they will back up less competent -- or even *incompetent* -- members, rather than letting them be naturally weeded out when it becomes obvious they *can't* make the computers work.

I landed many of my clients because their previous "professionals" couldn't get the job done. Say what you like about how the IT industry has changed -- it still really all boils down to this: if you can deliver the goods, you'll get the job.

Though the national organizations look good on your resume and may provide resources (most of which you can find on the net when you need them anyway), I prefer local organizations.
This gives you a chance to hook up with others in your area and create real contacts that may pay off down the road.

I recently joined IEEE (computer.org) after many years of receiving their literatuire in the mail. I've been an IT pro for 20 years, but I thought some of the benefits are worthwhile, such as:
- Free access to Books-OnLine (a subset of the entire library when you pay your base fee). There are additional costs for access to the whole library.
- Opportunities to join teams developing standards, etc... (perhaps tough to participate if you're new to IT).
- Opportunity to network with your peers through local session meetings (in your city - assuming you live in a major centre). This is probably of the most value to new IT pros, since it gives you exposure to real-world problems/solutions and lets you meet others, and ask questions. You may get some valuable friendships (or even technical contacts) out of that experience.
- Free on-line training courses. This is useful if you want to pursue any IT designations (A+, Network+, Cisco, etc, etc....)
- The magazine you get with the subscription lets you see the whole world of IT and engineering. It gives you exposure to sub-fields you may not have thought about, or didn't know exist. You can also submit papers for publication, if you've got something rational to say on some subject - and have some expertise. All submissions are peer-reviewed.

You really can't lose by joining IEEE (or probably many other societies/organizations). They all give you exposure to people in the field and the technologies in use. I think that's critical when you're just starting out.

Other paths, such as CISSP are more challenging since you need to write exams, obtain additional credits to maintain your designation, and get your employer to prove your work is significantly security based. That can be cool to achieve, but puts a whole other level of pressure on you. If you've got a family, or want a life outside of work (i.e. not having to study for exams after a long day at the office) you may not want to go this route.

Personally I don't have ANY formal certifications, and that doesn't really worry me. My employment is stable. But realistically, for those who are new to IT, designations (such as A+, CCNA, MCSE) can be the differentiator for hiring when the resume doesn't have a lot of IT experience.

I would recommend the pressure-free way first (where exams are not required for membership). You can then decide if you want to focus on obtaining a specific designation, and benefit from the Organization's on-line training resources and personal networking opportunities in the interim.

In my consulting days, during the course of a week I would visit several clients, many prospective. The introduction time was economized because I had the professional certifications. The baseline was established with those certifications which gave me the right to be "in the room" and we could get straight to the issue at hand where skills and background take over from the certifications to keep me in the room.

I am in the IS Audit profession. While not true in my case, some IT professionals view auditors as those who have never really implemented or operated systems. Certifications such as CISSP or CCP help draw a baseline that maybe this auditor knows something about our world and will come up with recomendations that are workable.

Michael T Hoesing CISA, CISSP, CCP, CIA, CPA, CMA

As a hiring manager, I see professional organizational membership almost as an "ante" to the game. Unless the candidate has a handful of really young children at home or is a single parent, I see membership as possible for most people and as a commitment to the profession. Of course, it depends on the organization, their mission and on how active the organization is.

I have a CISSP but don't consider myself to be a member of ISC2 since I don't attend meetings, etc. On the other hand, I do belong to ISSA and am as involved as I can be.

From an individual's perspective, professional organizations are a great networking tool, another way to ensure that you are staying abreast of new technologies (assuming the organization brings in speakers and marketing folks of value), and a way to demonstrate leadership qualities (if you can afford the time to volunteer (or get elected) to lead some organizational initiatives.

As I learned in my former life as a real estate appraiser, part of being a professional is knowing other professionals. Whether it be learning from others or mentoring newbies, it shows a commitment to professionalism. In the end even technology is a people driven business so get out from behind your monitor, polish up your smile and shake a few hands. As othes have pointed out sometimes the best jobs at the top are based on professional associatons.

Ross
Phonenix DBA

I'm late to reply, but it's the intangible & subtle things that you get from a professional organization that prove VERY worthy.

It's all about true LOGICAL & PHYSICAL networking. Puns intended.

Hi;

If the organization(s) that you are considering host meetings with topics of interest to you, then you will find it to be a rewarding experience.

It will most likely *not* provide a *boost* to your resume. But if you do not go in to this venture with that illusion, then you won't be disappointed.

I will say this: you *can* add to your resume membership in sub-committees of the organization, if you can get in. I have found, however, that if there are established cliques in the organization, then you will first have to 'crack the shell' surrounding those cliques to get in to a sub-committee.

Bottom line: I encourage you to subscribe to organizations that have local chapters which meet regularly.

Best of luck! :-) ... and ENJOY!

Murr, I believe organizations can be of value. It is a great way to network and often times you can get cutting edge information or ideas from your fellow members. The organization(s) and contacts made there could be of value if a job change or relocation of other sorts is needed.
Good luck.

First, having membership in an organization or a certification is only going to help on a resume when the other candidates have very similar experience and successes. At this point employers start looking for discriminators until they can narrow down to a few resumes. In this situation membership in an organization may make the difference.

There are numerous IT organizations. Most provide similiar services and common focus areas. Do not waste your money and join a lot of organizations if you are not going to take advantage of their services or participate in their workgroups.

I always recommend that one of the first requirements is to know what you want from the organization. During different phases of my career I joined different professional organizations. Always they were organizations that focused on areas that were compatible with my career goals. Currently for me PMI and ACM are a good fit.

To gain maximum benefit participate in the organization's work groups that are associated with your areas of interest. If networking and sharing of information and solutions is important I highly recommend participating in the local chapter of the organization you join.

Which is the best organization? Answer differs with each persons goals and objectives. The questions you should be asking yourself are: What areas am I interested in focusing?; What type of functions or services is desired?; and most importantly Why do I want to join a professional organization? If you can not answer that question save your money and wait until you can. If it is to get a better job or make your resume a winning one I am afraid it will not do that for you.

After more that 25 years in the industry, I am in the process of joining a professional organisation.
As an independent consultant, I often have to fill in proposals in which membership of a professional association is requested information.
It appears that in my game, professional membership is a measure of your standing amongst peers. I guess that it also tells the enquirer that you have a level of commitment to your chosen field of expertise.
I will also be looking for the networking possibilities as well.

I have been a member, at one time or another, Data Processing Managers Assoc. (DPMA), American Computing Machinery (ACM), IEEE, International .NET Association (INETA). Also I'm a MCSD.

The ACM, and IEEE didn't do me a lot of good in many area. What they did do is keep me current in different areas of my profession.

Now DPMA, and INETA have been benifical, because I was involved in a local chapter. This not only allowed me to keep current in my profesion, but had a major benifit of allowing me to network with other professionals. This is better then looking good on your resume, it helps open doors and find those jobs that have not been openly advertised yet. It also provides the additional benifit, of knowing other professionals and their specialities. That way when you come up on a problem you are uncertain about how to solve it you can ask them for help.

As a MCSD, it forces me to keep current in the latest technologies that I'm specialize in. It has also opened just about as many doors for interviews as my BSCS I got from SDSU in 1980.

So take what I've learned over the last 35 years that I've been in the Software Engineering profession and apply it to your career as you think best.

It all depends on your circumstances of joining a professional organization is worth it or not.

You'll finf many people cusring them, some getting benefit from them and some taking about them af if they were selling; "the best widget of the decade that will do everything you want and it's a bust buy at $10 as it's a bargin!"

My view is that some of them are over bloated and exist to extract money out of you. Thing is, thry can't do it blindly so have to provide a service which can be to put you on their books that others needs to pay for when seatching for a professional.

Not that I'm not just talking about about IT organizations. I'm on about all of them! From I.T. to plumbing to whatever.

Don't get me wrong, some organizations exist and to provide an ace service. Like in the UK you have to be Corgi registered to maintain gas appliances, which proves that you know what you're doing.

Something that was recently passed as law in the UK is that you have to be a mamber of some other organization for electricians as it's now illegal to do major electrical work on your own house! Regardless of the fact that one may not fully qualified, or have the progessional membership, but one is more that capable of udertaking the work and doing that work professionally!

Proof of the pussing is that where in a few jobs I've been in now, I've ended up cleaning up the mess made by people why have the qualifications and have the membership certificated. I don't and end up doing the job a lot better. Cleaning up their mess and being pro-active in the roles I'm employed to carry out.

Best thing to is to be honest and NEVER dig a hole that you can't get out of.

Now this I have encountered. Meeting people that are I.T. qualified and on some occasions members of the British Computer Society. I ended up whooping the people I met on knowledge and on how-to and how-can conversations.

To me, membership of organizations arms you wish steel-toe-capped boots so you can keep your foot in the door when it's being slammed in your face without any pain to ons self, but then it boils down to; "can that person do the job or not?"

Some can, and do the job very well, and some can't. They make a balls-up of what they are going. Then again so can people who don't have the bits of paper and certificates.

Bring back thew old days where you are given a set of perplexing on-the-job problems to sort out as part of the interview process and it's down to how one solves the problems that determines if one gets the job or not.

I would certainly recommend considering a membership in ARMA (the Association of Records Managers and Administrators) because of all the recent cross-pollenation occuring between IT and RIM. More and more, projects that involve compliance issues and retention standards to be applied to information repositories are looking for guidance from the RIM profession. Annual membership is $150; local Chapters vary depending on location and activity levels.

Another is SNIA (Storage Network Industry Association), which is presntly involved in developing a wide range of standards for storage and is also investigating the same for the ILM area. They have recently entered into an arrangement with ARMA to partner on some projects and initiatives.

There are other associations you might want to at least investigate for the potential value, but if nothing else, consider purchasing some of their Standards, White Papers, Technical Reports, etc. I'd consider NFPA (National Fire Protection Assn, take a look at Standard 75 and 232)and AIIM (Association of Image and Information Management) who have generated a wide-range of Standards on information management and storage.

Wow, that was a lot of good advice from everybody. Thanks very much.

I've decided to join two organizations that have local chapters here. itSMF and ISSA. the first looks allright, we'll see how it goes. and the second looks promising with regular meetings and (from what I can tell) a fairly close knit group of people.

Hopefully will help with networking and general learning and keeping up to date on issues.

Cheers

Absolutely worth it. You get job and contract leads, if your references (like mine are dead or emigrated)are small in numbers you will find fellows who appreciate your situation.
Best of all (and check this out online) who wants what qualifications ISSA, CISSP, ISP, CCP, etc. These professional qualifications matter to a lot of employers. Check out your industry, and your employers asap. In Canada no one will hire you in Alberta without the ISP (Oil & Gas companies are really into the designation as is the provincial government). Good luck.

These organizations are an opportunity to network, get information about trends that are happening in your field, and what may be on the planning board for release. They also provide great websites of information that may help you do your current job. For example, I have found IEEE Computer Society and the ACM extremely helpful in keeping me up to date.

The ACM provides - free to members - online technical training. The IEEE provides many useful articles on what is happening in project management and business/IT alignment. These examples are specific to my needs, but you never know what you may find.

Another aspect is participation. By participating in these organizations, people in positions of hiring get to know you and your skill sets. You never know when you may need a job or a job reference. So, it is a good idea.

There are many Professional Organizations that are of low value to anyone but themselves. A decision regarding membership in them requires scrutiny/evaluation on whether there is real potential for bringing value adn/or credibility to a client engagement.

Organizations such as PMI, ISACA, and others can provide real benefit for the member and client alike. But again,it depends on your role - for management functions, I find it's worthwhile; however, for technicians it may be a waste.