Many times, the scope of a person’s individual work within their profession isn’t the biggest influence they’ll have in their community, or the profession itself. Joining an association like NCACPA is a great outlet for a professional to amplify their contributions and have greater reach and influence.
Let’s take a closer look at three compelling reasons to get involved in an association:
Influence the Direction of Your Profession
Joining a professional association provides you, the member, with opportunities for advocacy within spheres of influence, which dictate the direction of your profession. Policy-makers, councils, and other formal bodies of decision-makers can be influenced by professional association advocates, who actively stay current on developing trends.
This advocacy can become a rewarding enterprise for a professional to become active in, and will keep them current on changing and developing issues. As an NCACPA member, you have the resources to learn about and stay updated on relevant issues, laws, regulations, and shifts in formal standards. This in turn can make you a more knowledgeable professional, with more capability in directing your own clients or activities with well-informed strategies.
Within a professional association like NCACPA, you can rise to a leadership position and wield more influence. Being recognized for leadership capabilities can lead to more opportunities through the inherent networking involved.
Opportunities for Continued Professional Education
Professional associations are great places for gaining continued education in many areas relating to the profession. Through classes and events hosted by NCACPA in the form of seminars, webcasting, and more, you can gain valuable knowledge in various aspects of your field.
Also, members of NCACPA are privy to the sage advice and mentorship of seasoned member professionals. These expansive networking opportunities are a major benefit of joining the association, and can contribute greatly to your own knowledge base.
Become Active in Community and Give/Gain Valuable Support
You automatically have a built-in network of support and countless resources when you join an association. Younger members just starting out can ask questions or gain clarity on technical topics from subject matter experts by using NCACPA’s members-only collaboration platform, Connect. More seasoned members can become mentors, providing a fulfilling way to give back to the profession and community.
Being an active member also opens the door for opportunities to recruit new people into the profession through career fairs, school presentations, and by providing scholarships.
Summary
Joining an association like NCACPA costs very little, and gives you countless resources and opportunities in return. NCACPA members gain these three benefits explored and much more after joining our time-honored and growing association.
Although joining a professional association doesn’t become a part of every professional’s life, the ones for which it does find their careers greatly enhanced and the experience invaluable in a short time.
By joining the NCACPA network, you can find like-minded people and relevant resources to develop and advance your career. As an involved member, you gain a sense of civic responsibility by giving back, and can be recognized for the strengths you bring to the profession that’s been such an integral part of your life.