2. Intro
• No one is certain how
professional
organizations started
but certainly the
medieval guilds of
stone masons,
carpenters, and other
artisans were
widespread in the
Middle Ages.
3. • Were created to safeguard the secrets
of their disciplines from the uninitiated,
thus helping to provide job security,
protect the authority of the guild’s
leaders, provide a resource for
members facing hard times, and ensure
that the quality of the work they
produced met the highest standards.
4. Goals of Professional Orgs
• Foremost among the goals of most
groups is the oversight and regulation of
professional standards and practices,
with the public interest in mind. This
involves the study and documentation of
accepted procedures and practices, and
the censure of members who fail to
adhere to these standards.
5. • A secondary but no less important
purpose of any organization is to
provide a venue for members to
communicate and network with each
other, through conventions, meetings,
and trade publications. Lastly a
professional organization strives to
provide its members with resources for
ongoing learning and career
advancement.
6. Michelle Garett
• Helps you stay current on knowledge in
your industry
• Helps you gain experience in an area
you may want to explore through
volunteering
• Adds credibility—being able to say “I’m
on the board” or “I’m an active volunteer
in this group” can help position you as
an expert
7. Definition
• A professional association (also
called professional body, professional
organization, or professional society)
is usually a
nonprofit organization seeking to
further a particular profession, the
interests of individuals engaged in that
profession and the public interest.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professiona
l_associatio
8. Benefits (By Elsbeth
McSorley)
• The ability to take part in developing
the standards and best practices of
their profession: Through participation
in the association’s governing board,
oversight committees, mentoring, and
consulting groups, a member can have
considerable influence on the
development and direction of their
profession.
9. • Additionally, a professional organization
is usually active in lobbying legislative
bodies for laws that are favorable to its
members.
10. • Opportunities to network with other
members: Membership provides
contacts at the local, state, national, and
even international level. Such contacts
can be invaluable when searching for a
new position or to expand an existing
practice.
11. • Continuous learning
opportunities: Members usually have
access to professional development
resources to enhance skills and
knowledge and to stay up to date on
changes within their field. These include
conferences and workshops, online
classes, white papers, newsletters, and
other educational resources.
12. • Membership group discounts: Most
organizations get group discounts on a
wide range of products and services,
everything from auto, life, and medical
insurance to vacation packages and
condominium rentals. These discounts
alone or often worth more than the cost
of membership.
13. • Access to scholarships and
internships: These are often available
to students who plan to pursue a career
within a specific profession, or to
members who want to advance in their
field.
14. • Resume enhancement: Listing
membership in a professional
organization is an excellent addition to a
resume. It’s an indication that a job
candidate is serious enough about their
career to make an investment of money
and time in it.
16. Revised Schedule
• Delayed by 2 meetings
• May 9 – Election Day
• May 16 – Legal Aspects & Evaluation
• May 23 – Presentation of Group
Research; 30 minutes per group
