To succeed in a competitive working environment, people are now focusing more on their development and skills. A professional organization is important if you want to be recognized as a leading voice in the industry or if you’re looking to climb up the career ladder.
People in accountancy might join ACCA, a prestigious accounting body while those in medical would want to consider being part of The Memphis Medical Society.
There are many benefits to joining a professional organization besides being informed about the industry that you are working in.
5 Reasons to Join a Professional Organization
Networking
What better way to spread your influence and learn from the experts than to focus on networking. In the 21st century, networking is seen as something important and perhaps that is the only reason for the social media platform, LinkedIn, to exit.
Getting to interact and meet with influential people in the industry is a great way to learn the dos and don’ts to help you professionally develop yourself and succeed.
Networking is also a great way to let people know that you’re available for work. Many successful entrepreneurs and leaders are looking for the right candidate to mentor and pass on the flame.
Professional Development
A professional is of little use to an organization if they are not up to date with the industry regulations, changes, rules, and news.
If you’re not well-informed then that makes you just another 9 to 5 employee. Organizations are not looking for 9 to 5 employees but those that understand the need for professional development and like to put themselves in challenging situations to grow the company.
Learning
Continuous learning is the key to being a successful leader. It is also a great way to polish your existing skills and bring something new to the table. Professional organizations arrange educational conferences for their members to join and take part in.
These conferences or talks introduce industry leaders and experts to shed light on the problems in the industry and bring in possible solutions. These talks are a great way to get insights into a particular field and apply your learnings to your work environment to help propel the organization forward.
Such learnings can prove to be the first step towards climbing the competitive corporate ladder that many people desire.
Code of Conduct
Professional bodies and organizations are there to ensure compliance with the code of conduct in the particular industry. For example, a medical professional organization will have a code of conduct (best practices) to follow in a workplace or hospital. Those that choose to violate such practices are penalized and in severe cases, their memberships are revoked.
This is a great way to develop credibility in the industry and its members. A member of an ACCA is said to be trustworthy by the professional organization, however, if kicked out would give an impression that the person had done something unethical.
This not only helps the organizations to go for the right candidates but also for the candidates to demonstrate their ethical values and stand out from the crowd of people applying for a job.
Career Hunting
Yes, this is one of the reasons why many choose to join professional organizations. Corporates are registered to these organizations and whenever they are looking for a candidate with the set of skills that are endorsed by such professional associations, they post a job vacancy on their portal.
Candidates looking to join companies that value such members can easily apply for the jobs on their portal giving them a good chance to be invited for an interview.
