The
AEA: Membership has its Privileges
By Steve Nunn, CEO, Association of Enterprise Architects
I’m often asked by people outside of our association (and by
those considering joining it) what the advantages and benefits are of joining a
professional association like the Association of Enterprise Architects (AEA).
Although I may be a bit biased as the AEA’s CEO, I believe that joining an
organization such as ours is invaluable for numerous reasons—both for
individuals and for the organizations they work for.
A number of years ago, American Express ran an ad campaign
that boasted the slogan “membership
has its privileges.” The implication was that card holders were a part of a
community that “had their back,” so to speak—a community that helped them with
what they needed, when and where they needed it.
For professionals, associations provide the same sort of
privileges. Being part of a group of other professionals working in your field
is helpful on various levels. First, being a member of the AEA provides
credibility and recognition within the international community of Enterprise
Architects (EA). With members in nearly 120 countries, it also helps
professionals within the workplace. When hiring managers see membership in an
association such as the AEA on someone’s CV or resume, it not only provides
professional recognition for the skills and experience you have, but it can
help give a “boost” to your candidacy with hiring and HR managers when applying
for jobs.
Maintaining your membership in a professional organization
shows that you take an active interest in keeping up your professional skills
and learning new ones. This, in turn, helps you advance your career, not only
by helping you stay current within the industry and getting recognition for
that, but it can also help during annual reviews resulting in promotions or
additional compensation.
Part of the AEA mission is also to help you improve and maintain
your skills through networking and mentoring opportunities and involvement in
local or regional chapters. The best way for any of us to learn and grow is by
interacting with each other and sharing our experiences and knowledge as
practitioners. Getting involved at the chapter level and attending conferences
where you can learn about the latest industry trends or receive professional
development credit for attendance go a long way toward helping you create and
maintain your professional network beyond social media interactions such as
LinkedIn. There’s just no substitute for being able to connect with your
colleagues face-to-face!
In addition to all of these “tangible” benefits there are
also “intangible” benefits to membership. Being part of a recognized
professional group helps provide a sense of job security and competency—a pride
of association based on your professional accomplishments. We may not talk about these things “out
loud” very often, but all of us crave recognition for the work we do day in and
day out—being part of a professional community beyond your place of work, like
the American Express campaign, demonstrates that we are part of a community
larger than ourselves and that we are successful in our chosen profession.
The privileges associated with AEA membership also extend to
your workplace. Membership provides
a level of confidence to managers and colleagues in making hiring decisions
because it proves candidates are competent, skilled and professional. Companies
benefit because they know that candidates have the chops to jump in and hit the
ground running when hired.
At the end of the day, belonging to a professional
association lends credibility—to individuals, to their work, to the
organizations that hire them and to the profession. As the AEA continues provide
opportunities for EAs to advance their careers and increase your value in the
market through professional excellence, we will also continue to explore how to
elevate EA to the status of a “profession” in order to gain additional exposure
and credibility for your work.
I invite you to get involved and join our network of more
than 38,000 professionals worldwide!
Please visit the AEA website for additional information on membership, and refer to our list of local chapters (https://www.globalaea.org/members/group_select.asp)
throughout the globe.