Participating in Professional Associations

I experienced this first-hand: a recent client found me not through LinkedIn or Google, but through the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches member directory. It was a great reminder of something I’ve been sharing with job seekers for years: industry specific professional associations and networking groups are an underrated but powerful tool in your job search. Recruiters and hiring managers are expanding their sourcing strategies beyond LinkedIn. Many are now searching member directories, certification bodies, and industry associations to find engaged, qualified talent. If you’re not active in your field’s professional organizations, you could be missing out on opportunities that never get posted publicly. Beyond visibility, professional associations offer exclusive job boards, niche networking opportunities, learning and certification programs, and the instant credibility that comes from being part of a professional community. For anyone currently in (or thinking about) a job search: consider joining your industry’s top professional association. It could be the connection that leads you to your next role. What professional associations are most valued in your field?

This Is the Number 1 Mistake Young Accountants Make Becoming a Chartered Accountant (CA) is a huge achievement. After all the late nights, sacrifices, and perseverance, it’s something worth celebrating! But here’s a common issue: for many young accountants, the learning and growth stop right after qualification. And that’s the number 1 mistake you can make. Here’s why: qualifying as a CA is just the beginning. The accounting profession is constantly evolving. If you don’t stay updated, you risk falling behind. That’s why Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and participating in ICAG district societies and events are essential. Here are two big missteps many young accountants make: 1️⃣ Neglecting CPD • CPD is not just a formality. It keeps you updated on changes in the profession, whether it’s new tax laws, accounting standards, or industry best practices. Ignoring CPD can make you less competitive and even cost you your license. 2️⃣ Skipping ICAG Events and District Soceity Meetings • ICAG events and district societies are more than just gatherings. They are platforms to build relationships, share knowledge, and stay connected to the profession. Avoiding them means missing out on valuable opportunities to learn, grow, and collaborate. Why This Matters: ✔️ CPD ensures you remain relevant and well-informed. ✔️ Networking helps you connect with people who can guide or support your career. ✔️ Active participation demonstrates professionalism and dedication to your field. Here’s my experience: Through active participation in ICAG events, I’ve built valuable relationships and gained insights that have strengthened my career. My involvement also played a key role in being nominated to serve on two different audit committees. However, let me emphasize this: your qualifications, competence, and professional reputation are the foundation for such opportunities. Attending events or staying active doesn’t replace the need to meet the requirements. But it does help ensure you’re in the right spaces to be noticed and considered when the time is right. To my fellow accountants: don’t let your CA qualification be the peak of your journey. Commit to lifelong learning, stay active in ICAG events, and use these platforms to sharpen your skills and expand your network. How has CPD or ICAG events impacted your career ? Let’s share and inspire each other to keep growing!

🎯 #1-𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 ! #2-𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗯, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 🌐   For young researchers (PhD students/postdocs), 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 isn't just a line on a CV; 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. Here’s why joining learned societies & networks is non-negotiable:   🔹 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 Listing memberships (e.g., Royal Society of Chemistry, #RSC, International Society of Electrochemistry, #ISE, American Chemical Society, #ACS) on your CV signals 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 and commitment to your field. 🔹 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 Access to 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 (e.g., ISE travel grants, RSC grants, and fellowships). Early career programs (like 𝐈𝐘𝐂𝐍’𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬). The International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN). 🔹 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 I’ve collaborated with peers via #RSC and the 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation) - leading to 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬. 🔹 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 Member-only journals and webinars (e.g. 𝐀𝐂𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐒𝐂 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐬) keep you ahead. 🔹 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 & 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Societies like #DGMS (𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲) and #SFSM (Société Française de Spectrométrie de Masse SFSM, Club Jeune de la Société Française de Spectrométrie de Masse (CJSM)) amplify early-career voices in policy discussions.   📖𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: As a member of 𝟖+ 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 (𝐑𝐒𝐂, 𝐈𝐒𝐄, 𝐆𝐂𝟐𝐀, 𝐒𝐅𝐒𝐌, 𝐃𝐆𝐌𝐒, 𝐈𝐘𝐂𝐍, 𝐀𝐂𝐒 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, France Alumni Cameroun, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.), I’ve leveraged these platforms to 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. 📌 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧: Invest in memberships early - they’re career multipliers. Find your communities and engage. The return on this investment is immeasurable.   #ResearchNetworks #EarlyCareerResearchers #ScienceCommunity #ProfessionalGrowth #PhD #Postdoc #Chemistry #Science #PhDLife #Research #CareerDevelopment

And now my weekly update…this week: The Power of Professional Organizations & Volunteering Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how engaging in professional organizations and volunteer work can be a game-changer—not just for individual careers but for entire communities. When you actively participate, you gain: ✅ Stronger Networks – Connecting with like-minded professionals opens doors to new opportunities, collaborations, and mentorship. ✅ Continuous Learning – Industry groups and volunteer roles expose you to fresh ideas, best practices, and emerging trends that keep you ahead of the curve. ✅ Leadership Development – Serving on committees or leading initiatives sharpens your ability to manage projects, influence others, and drive meaningful change. ✅ A Deeper Sense of Purpose – Giving back to your industry or community is incredibly rewarding. It reinforces why we do what we do and helps us make an impact beyond our daily work. Whether it’s through SHRM, an industry-specific association, or a local nonprofit, stepping up and getting involved can be one of the best career moves you make.

Throughout my career, being actively involved in professional associations has been a cornerstone of my growth + development. Here’s how each one has shaped my journey: SMPS—Society for Marketing Professional Services: Early in my career, SMPS was my gateway to the AEC industry + foundational marketing principles. It was here that I first dipped my toes into volunteer leadership, learning the ropes and building a network of like-minded professionals. APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals): APMP took my understanding of proposals to the next level. I dove deep into the intricacies of proposal management and had the incredible opportunity to lead boards, committees, and initiatives. In my final stages of involvement, I was lucky enough to lead the global board of directors as chair. I learned invaluable lessons in crisis management, fiscal responsibility, and peer leadership—skills that were crucial as I transitioned from early career stages and to my final years in corporate. Entrepreneurs' Organization: As I left the corporate world and ventured into entrepreneurship and started my own business, EO has become a vital resource. Learning from other successful business owners about entrepreneurship, navigating challenges, and seizing opportunities has been instrumental in my journey. EO has provided me with the support + insights needed to thrive as a business owner. These associations have not only expanded my knowledge and skills but also connected me with incredible people who’ve inspired and supported me along the way. 🙌 If you’re looking to grow in your career, I can’t recommend getting involved in professional associations enough. And keep in mind, there may be different associations for different stages of your career.