Thursday, June 14, 2012

Professional Organizations

There are many organizations that provide many benefits for the Communications Professional. The organizations listed below each offer something different to members, but the core benefits of networking, advancement opportunities, professional development and recognition are very important and common among professional organizations across many fields.  

The Association for Women in Communications

The purpose of this organization is to reach women who have careers in Communications-related professions. The mission statement for this organization is: “The Association for Women in Communications is a professional organization that champions the advancement of women across all communications disciplines by recognizing excellence, promoting leadership and positioning its members at the forefront of the evolving communications era,” (AWC, 2012).

The intended audience for this organization is women in various communications fields. Some benefits included in being a member of this organization are networking opportunities which could lead to advancement in a member’s field, recognition for work at national conventions and savings and discounts available to members with companies like Hertz (AWC, 2012).

I would consider joining this organization as it offers a chance for women to connect and network with other professionals in the field, but it is also geared toward women. Communications professions can be highly competitive and having access to a group of peers who recognize your achievements, encourage you as well as providing opportunities to advance in your field is a great way to start and continue in a career.

National Communication Association

“The NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, the NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems,” (NCA, 2012).

This organization also provides networking (it’s becoming very clear that ‘knowing someone who knows someone’ is a good way to open more professional doors), professional development resources, recognition for achievements and access to scholarly publications that relate to the Communications field (NCA, 2012). The intended audience for this association is professionals across many fields, male or female, at any level of the career ladder. This would be a great organization to join for someone who is just beginning in a Communications field. This organization I would consider joining because it provides many opportunities and a job search section.

Society for Technical Communications

This organization is a very prominent organization for those in the Technical Communications field. It has existed since 1957 and takes pride in its “leaders of the field” members (STC, 2012). According to the website, “The key values of STC membership are access to best-in-class technical communication education and training programs, career development and professional networking opportunities, and exclusive member benefits,” (STC, 2012).

This is not an organization that I would consider joining because I am not planning to become a member of the Technical Communications field, but given its history and the opportunities being a member of this organization could provide, it is a worthwhile membership for those in the Technical Communications Field.

Association of Professional Communication Consultants

APCC is an international organization that sets out to help members increase their knowledge, grow their business, and strive for and achieve high standards of professional practices (APCC, 2012). The audience is intended to be for Communication Consultants- those who help other companies develop and implement individual communication strategies. These professionals provide a very important, beneficial service to other business. This organization provides marketing opportunities to help a small consulting firm grow from locally to state-wide to potentially a national or international firm (APCC, 2012). There is recognition for achievements, networking, and access to articles and publications that would be relevant to Communication Consultants (APCC, 2012).

This is also an organization I would be interested in joining. As someone who is considering entering the Marketing/Advertising field, being a member of this association could provide valuable networking and also the ability to maybe help a business grow, like we are striving to do with our comic book store.

Public Relations Society of America

The mission of the Public Relations Society of America is “the world’s largest and foremost organization of Public Relations professionals,” (PRSA, 2012). PRSA offers networking, advancement opportunities, professional development opportunities, and upholds a high standard of ethics (PRSA, 2012). This organization is intended to reach those in the Public Relations field and as an organization with such a strong history and reputation; it is a very important membership for anyone in this field.

I am not interested in becoming a Public Relations professional and so I would not be interested in joining this organization, but I see the need for an organization like this (and all the others mentioned) in this field. Networking, recognition and professional development is important in any field. Having access to these things and other materials that are pertinent to your chosen career field can only make you a more professional professional.

References

Association of Professional Communication Consultants (2012). About APCC. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://consultingsuccess.org/wp/?page_id=31.

Association of Professional Communication Consultants. (2012). Why join APCC? Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://consultingsuccess.org/wp/?page_id=134.  

National Communication Association. (2012). What is NCA? Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://www.natcom.org/about/.

National Communication Association. (2012). Benefits. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://www.natcom.org/benefits/.

Public Relations Society of America. (2012). About PRSA. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/.

Society for Technical Communication. (2012). Membership. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://www.stc.org/membership.

The Association for Women in Communications. (2012). AWC overview. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://www.womcom.org/about_us/overview.asp.

The Association for Women in Communications. (2012). Active membership benefits. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from: http://www.womcom.org/membership/benefits.asp.

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