Associations like acm, ieee, and shpe

[kadaj6]

I am currently a computer engineer student and I am looking into associations like acm, ieee, and shpe. Which one will help best for my future career and is it worth subscribing to one.

Thank you in advance

 

[kadaj6]

anyone? please?

 

[tygerdawg]

Any of them. All of them.

There is a direct relationship to the "benefit received" to the amount of "effort expended and participation."

Benefits are just exactly what all of these types of professional societies state:

• Professional networking, meetings & conferences, & knowing colleagues. Most good jobs come from relationships. For entrepreneurs, most good contracts come from relationships. People with whom to share / discuss ideas and concepts, and all of that.
• Access to the educational or technical materials of the societies. If not free, then at less expense.
• Prestige. That one is debateable.
• You can put this stuff on your resume.

The downsides:

• Many of these societies masquerade as providing some benefit, but in reality they are a big bureaucracy of fat cats that need membership to support them and their lifestyle. Be careful.
• If you become involved with a local chapter, then typically they will expect you stay in participation via holding office. I've been a Chapter Chair before, and it was a huge drain on my available free time for little benefits and few thanks. I became disillusioned with the whole thing and dropped out completely. Never regretted it.