Are professional memberships/accreditations worth it?

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I am in my 20s, had a good career so far. I was previously working at a senior level in government, and recently moved to consulting in government.

As a result I have been brushing up my CV in preparation for when I need to find my next contract or in case I want to return to permanent employment.

I am eligible to apply for a number of professional memberships in mathematics, statistics and computer science.

Eg Chartered Mathematician (Institute of Mathematics and its Applications) or Chartered Statistician (Royal Statistical society). Data science professional (potentially the advanced certification).

Alongside various others with other organisations, however these are the main ones I am looking into. I am also in process of applying for a professional membership with BCS, the chartered institute for IT.

However I am just thinking of the ongoing costs to maintain these in the future (annual fees etc). So just wanted to check in and see if anyone felt these were beneficial to their career.

In terms of promotion they will definitely help cement your credibility and demonstrate your commitment to your own learning and development. They’re also good for helping you to build your network, find new opportunities in your field, and share your own successes. I’m a member of three or four professional bodies and although the cost is 😬 they’re definitely valuable for my profile.

I'd pick 1-2 most relevant to you, e.g. I am eligible for 4 or 5 including a couple for hard sciences and a couple of comms ones. I just do one because that membership is really good for networking. One of the others seems mainly a vanity membership, and I don't really do enough with the other two besides teaching so I don't think a membership would be that beneficial, especially as I don't have a PhD, and DH's experience of the academic scientific institutes e.g. IoM is that the networking is only good for postdoc/academic opportunities, but YMMV.

Mine is on my CV and LinkedIn. I've had it 7 years. As far as I know, it's made zero difference but maybe the post nominals have helped me stand out. If you can afford a couple of hundred quid a year, nothing to lose.

Most are tax deductible as are union dues. Some your employer will pay for. I have a fair few (old and senior), not sure if they make a massive difference but they won’t harm you.

Pick one that offers learning, qualifications and also networking and conferences.

as an employer I can always tell the difference between candidates who are actively involved in the professional body.

It probably varies by industry and some would be more respected by others but I think they have been vital for giving me the edge on my CV.

not much relevance in Stem careers.

I’d only do if my employer pays for membership fees as it means they recognise the relevance. Look at Linkedin profiles of people in organisations you aspire to work for and see if they have any, if not then don’t bother.

I have a few, also old and senior and I do think they can make a difference if you are job hunting. I volunteer for a couple of my institutes and take advantage of the free training sessions on offer so I do feel like I get value for money.

I accessed legal assistance on an employment issue from one of them last year - also free.

You do need to consider the CPD requirements and make sure you are able to commit to doing whatever is needed to maintain membership.

Yes to tax deductions. Make sure you do a tax return to get one of the few benefits available to PAYE people if you return to it. Check that the Institute is on the list at HMRC.

I see one of the benefits of membership is being able to access a broad range of topics and see current developments in your field irrespective of whether your professional focus is narrow. I really enjoy the volunteering/mentoring I do, it exposes me to other areas of work and also feels like I am giving something back.

Have to disagree with this. Legally I cannot work without my professional certifications and ongoing professional society membership, which are very much STEM.

I have one, STEM related. I'm probably eligible for more, but my employer only pays for one. If they decided not to continue funding it I would let it drop. But I'm not planning on changing career or employer anytime soon, I might think differently if I was.

I disagree. I have 2 STEM professional memberships, both of which allow me to be chartered in that field, and both of which are significant landmarks for my employer. Senior roles require professional Chartership.

I would say that just having the membership and doing nothing with it is not the most useful. However finding the one that resonates most with you and taking on volunteering roles, parricipating in events etc can have a significant impact. As with most things you get out what you put into it