Do you belong to a professional organisation?

Like Ken I'm an MBCS with the British Computer Society and am also a Chartered IT Professional (CITP). Sometimes with the latter you have to point out to people that this is an assessed award and not just something you get for paying a membership fee.

I believe you will find the the profile of the BCS will be raised considerably over the next 18 months

In terms of why, well confirms "professionalism", useful for contributing to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), not vendor based so "independent". The add-on benefits that are given to Members are a useful extra but not the whole raison d'etre for joining. In a past life in financial services I was a member of the Chartered Building Societies Institute which later merged with the Chartered Institute of Bankers (now the Institute of Financial Services I think) and also a member of the Life Insurance Association. I held professional memberships with these too (i.e. based on examination processes).

I've looked at IET but not followed it up in view of BCS developments I know are in the pipeline ....... keep watching the skies ! (sorry, all I can say on that for the moment !)

 

as mentioned here http://www.certforums.co.uk/forums/thread33225.html I'm considering membership of the BCS and I'm also seriously looking at the IET as well.

I don't suppose we've got anyone whos a member of both on here to do a direct comparison?

I know IET membership carries some impressive benefits (my dads a member and has been for a fair part of his working life) including access to Savoy Place (the IET library) which is well worth a visit, but I find myself leaning more towards the BCS largely because of their tighter focus on the IT proffesion. That and because I'd be an associate member the BCS is cheaper

 

Morning Guys!

Two proffesional Bodies im membership of are:

Membership: British Computer Society – MBCS CITP
Institute of Leadership & Management – Member (MInstLM)


BCS - I find really intersting, offer good courses, good magazines and also good free book library, should really go to more meetings but dont really have time.

ILM - Offer some good courses, there magazine is really good has well and loads of other useful info on their website, my girlfriend his currently doing a level three in supervisory management through her company its a bit bland she was saying.

Hope this helps

 

I have been a student member of the BCS for quite some time whilst I was studying in the evenings. I haven't yet upgraded but have just put the application through next week. I just posted something on the LinkedIn group about this as well.

I have thought about IET membership as well but the courses I have done are accredited by the BCS not by them (although this doesn't stop from joining).

There is a couple of people @ work who are members with IMIS (institute of management information systems) and IAP (institute of analysts and programmers). They have said there isn't really much benefit to them although the IAP monthly magazine is better than the BCS one as it is less airy fairy.

 

I have to say I am generally 'underwhelmed' with the BCS magazine contents when it comes. Perhaps its a format thats had its day, I find far more interesting stuff on peoples blogs.

Yes, currently I get very little out of it, some of the meetings look very good indeed but since they are often organised for a weekday afternoon around 18:00, I'm often at work and none of them are near me, so I cannot attend without taking a day off, so have never been.

I can see someone early on in their career with flexible working hours living in central london might benefit a lot.

Maybe they could provide some of them as downloadable videos or webcasts, seems an IT organisation should use the power of the internet to help its members.

 

Nope, they're all a load of bollocks and are just in existance to collect money from those who actually believe that membership is of some benefit. These VI groups would love to see membership mandatory in order to get a job in IT. The forthcoming depression will finish them off as the age of 'every man for himself' is near upon us. Attending workshops, listening to the bollocks spouted by 'PhDs' who have done nothing but talk bollocks will not get you out of that call centre any quicker. Neither will a shiny crap magazine!

The only Pro organisation you need to be part of in IT is indeed BCS (BLOODY COMMON SENSE). If you're in that club then you'll go far!

Sad but true.

 

True, the magazine doesn't provide a lot (not sure if that's under review atm).

As to meetings - granted many Specialist Groups have their meetings using the London Hq but branches all around the country don't. They tend to make use of local hotels/conference venues and uni/college sites (usually as the room cost is negligible). I can't speak for all branches obviously but for Dorset our meetings have tea/coffee at 7pm with the presentation starting at 7.30pm. Usually all done an dusted by 9pm at the latest.

What I would say is that local branches are generally crying out to hear from members (eg we recently emailed around 900 for Dorset asking what they would like organised and only heard back from about 8!) so if they're not holding the sorts of events you want or time is wrong/location wrong etc - tell them !

For those wishing to see what it's all about, branches also welcome non-members to attend presentations and events. we usually get 20-40 people at events depending on the subject matter.

Podcats/webcasts etc - all in the offing but down to the branches and SG's to do whatever they want. Some do, some don't.

 

I'm a student member of IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society, mostly because it gives me a heads up on some different standards coming down the pipeline and nice access to MSDNA which gives me a ton of free MS software.

 

I don't totally agree with this.... From previous experience, the BCS is good to be a part of - be a part of the bigger group. Being a member of your industries trade association can be a very rewarding experience which brings me onto my next point. No one is yet to mention CompTIA membership...

I didn't even know that CompTIA was a professional trade body until I started to work with a training company advising on how to become CLA (CompTIA Learning Alliance I think... basically means that CompTIA have given a training company a stamp of approval). The certifications are just one part of their offering to the IT community. Research, networking, business tools and events are their other main offerings - I'm attending their October conference because James Caan from the Dragons Den will be presenting the keynote... Cant bloody wait!

Being a comptia member used to get us a discount on their certifications. I think membership starts at about £150 for a company (I think individuals can join, not totally sure - i think its called IT Pro membership or something similar) and you get about 25% off of their exams (don't know exact figures but I do know that a+ is £95 for members compared to the market price of £114). A saving of £19 per exams meant that by the time 5 students had gone through their exams, the training company had saved money...

What wasnt so good is that the training company was still charging full wack to the students meaning that of the 168 people they put through A+ in 2004, they made £6,384 in cert profit alone. Not fair...!

 

I'm sorry but the BCS is NOT my industry's 'trade' association. They do not represent me, my collegues, my company or any of our 3rd parties in any shape or form. From time to time we have the odd knob-end project manager that slips in mBCS after his name on his siggy and in most cases it is apparent that it should have read tW@T instead. 99% of them are useless and seem to think that they are on the set of the Apprentice? The last one was actually asked to leave for under-performance.

What ever happened to getting a job and DOING that job. I don't need a VI group i.e. BCS, CompTIA (just what the hell does this bunch do anyway), or the other piss-takers to tell me how it is. They are not regulated but put out the impression that you are somehow disadvantaged by not being part of their association! Absolute rubbish!

In the end it all comes down to getting a job and making a living, not paying the fat salaries of those at the top of these VI groups! They are the ones who are really benefiting!

And besides, what the f*ck has James Caan got to do with IT???? Ramping up his faltering recruitment and property businesses?

See the light dude, no-one gives a toss about you! They just want your money!

 

Ok, so you clearly don't see any advantage in professional bodies and that's your opinion and your privilege. However, in terms of the BCS, it is covered by a Royal Charter which clearly states its aims which are :

Its objects are to promote the study and practice of computing and to advance knowledge of and education in IT for the benefit of the public.

BCS is also a registered charity. It is not a trade body and, like many other organisations has different levels of Membership with various requirements. In the case of the Chartered IT Professional, this is an assessed award and not a membership right obtainable just on payment of a fee.

No-one is stopping you from getting on and doing your job as you put it. However, some of us do put a value on belonging to a professional body and abiding by its standards and rules.

 

As 'passionate' as your post was mate, this comment almost made me spurt out my coffee with laughter.

Qs

 

As full on as drum_dudes posts to this thread have been they have been useful, they've helped me make a decision...

I'll be putting in my application to the BCS asap if for no other reason than to wind him up

 

must agree with QS,I get the feeling Drum_Dude is sitting at his pc hitting the keyboard with clenched fists

 

LOL, not quite.