Choosing to Join a Professional Association
Professional engineering associations and societies have provided students, fledgling engineers, and experienced professionals with value since the 1800s. And today, there are countless organizations you can choose from to help design your career path, connect with experts, and accelerate your career.
As a member of a professional association, you’ll do more than construct strong structures, you’ll build exceptional relationships, too.
With all that said, let’s explore the benefits of joining an engineering association and the top associations to add to your repertoire.
Reasons to Join a Professional Engineering Association
Choosing to join a professional association isn’t just a form of credentialism. With the right organization, you can receive critical support and enjoy several meaningful advantages, including:
Fellowship – An engineering association gathers like-minded professionals near and far, fostering opportunities to network, share knowledge, and collaborate with experienced colleagues.
Job prospecting – Many associations will provide helpful contacts, tools, and resources to engineers seeking new opportunities or wishing to specialize their skills & practice.
Continued education – For a professional engineer, the learning process never ends. Associations offer access to information and resources engineers require to advance their education and maintain their licenses.
Personal growth – Whether you’re a greenhorn or grizzled vet, an association will connect you with other engineers who are at different stages of their careers. This presents a golden opportunity to be a mentor or receive mentorship.
- A resume highlight – Membership in a professional engineering organization is something you can highlight on your resume, especially if you took advantage of the opportunity to expand your skillset, build relationships, and grow as a professional. Furthermore, as the America Society of Civil Engineers notes, there are likely several certification and accreditation programs that can make your resume stand out even more. These may include:
Construction Engineering certification
Geographic Information Systems for Asset Management certification
Port Engineering certification
Structural Earthquake Engineering for Buildings certification
Water Treatment Certificate
Industry news – Are you up to date with the latest news, trends, technologies, and industry regulations? An association can provide resources like newsletters, conferences, and webinars that help you stay informed on the latest engineering updates.
Top Engineering Associations
Across the world, there are countless engineering associations. Some cater to a specific sub-category of engineering, whereas others welcome all types of engineers. Our top four associations include:
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) – With more than 500 local chapters in the U.S., NSPE has operated since 1934, advocating for the non-technical concerns of licensed professional engineers across all disciplines.
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – Founded in 1852 and representing more than 150,000 civil engineering professions in 177 countries, the ASCE is the world’s foremost civil engineering association. In that capacity, it’s a leader in providing technical and professional conferences, publishing civil engineering content, and advocating for safety codes and standards.
National Society of Professional Surveyors - NSPS is “the voice of the professional surveying community in the US and its territories. Through its affiliation agreements with the respective state surveying societies, NSPS has a strong constituency base through which it communicates directly with lawmakers, agencies, & regulators at both the national and state level. NSPS monitors and comments on legislation, regulation, & policies that have potential impact on the activities of its members and their clients, and collaborates with a multitude of other organizations within the geospatial community on issues of mutual interest.”
MFS Engineering & Surveyors
To thrive in the engineering field, you must be committed to excellence and seek to understand your unique impact on society’s nuts and bolts. Fortunately, choosing to join a professional association is one of the best ways an engineer can uphold and foster such values. It’s a priceless source of growth and learning, no matter the stage of your career.
To join a team of craftsmen that embrace this ethos, look to MFS Engineers and Surveyors. We provide personalized services and innovative solutions for cross-disciplinary projects, such as engineering and construction ventures.
Want to learn more about our team and services? Contact us today!