4 Reasons You Should Join a Professional Organization

If you haven't yet joined a professional organization relevant to your field you're missing out on a great opportunity to strengthen your career.

There are a number of advantages to joining a professional organization and we'll consider four reasons you should join one today.

Great networking opportunities. Professional organizations often host regular events that provide the chance to meet new people, talk to leaders in your field, and learn from others in your area. These events, including annual conferences, provide an excellent resource to expand your network.

A way to showcase your skills. Organizations are always looking for qualified people to provide training, speak at events and conferences, or host a webinar. By showcasing your knowledge and skills you set yourself up as an expert in the field and make it more likely other opportunities, including possible job offers, will come your way.

Increase your knowledge. The conferences, webinars, and publications sponsored by professional organizations all offer you the chance to stay on top of the latest in your field, increasing knowledge of your career, and making it more likely that you'll continue to have a variety of offers come your way. These learning opportunities are often available at more reasonable costs for members, too, so you can save money on your personal and professional development.

Gain official certifications. Some professional organizations offer their members a chance to take classes or training to earn specific certifications in their field, such as becoming certified in substance abuse treatment, product management, or medical billing, and these certifications can be a path to a better job or increased pay.

These are just some of the advantages to joining a professional organization. If you're unfamiliar with an organization in your field do a quick search online. You'll likely find one or two relevant groups that can offer the advantages described above, along with many other benefits.

Certifiably Skilled: Increase Your Skill Base Through Professional Certifications

"Prove it."

Two words that separate those who can walk the talk from those that just talk. You can testify up and down that you can use the concatenate function in Excel or are an excellent medical assistant, but it doesn't mean anything until the rubber meets the road and you prove it. In today's job market successful candidates are the ones who invest in their careers. Putting yourself through school is an obvious investment, but so is refining your skills as they directly pertain to the functions of your field. This is where certifications come in. Obtaining certifications add value to you as a potential employee by demonstrating you know basic and advanced skills. Here are three reasons why certifications are a great idea:

Boost your skills: You may think that you are proficient at, say, Microsoft Office, but are you a master in the eyes of Microsoft? This can only be done by taking their Microsoft Office Specialist Certification program! Companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, and many others have created certification curriculums to provide a structured means of mastering their products. This isn't to say that there aren't uncertified gurus out there, but the "thumbs up" directly from the company who created the product is a boost of confidence to employers that you know what you're doing.

Credentialize: In some fields, obtaining a certification is a way of gaining credentials. Medical assistants and massage therapists, for example, get letters to put after their names once they complete their certifications. The credentialing could be a part of a licensure requirement directed by the state to be able to work in that field, or it could just be a demonstration of advanced skills. Regardless, those extra letters could translate into extra opportunities whether you are in the job market or currently working.

Market yourself: Taking a certification exam is no easy feat; it requires acquired knowledge and discipline to study for the exam. With a certification you are not only demonstrating proficient skills, you are showing your dedication and commitment to your field and your personal growth as well as fortitude, sacrifice, and goal-accomplishment. You would be remiss if you didn't market these qualities of character to an interviewee or your supervisor as you discuss future career opportunities. Don't let this one slip by!

Never fear if the technology-heavy certification examples above have you feeling out of the certification loop; there are certification opportunities available in nearly every field, whether or not it requires a computer. Do some internet investigating and invest in your future through a certification.