Back in 2001, when I first attended college, I didn’t join any student organizations, clubs or professional societies. After all, I was busy with classes and didn’t know what benefits they could offer me. What is the value that may be offered by SACNAS members? Some clubs even require membership fees!
Now I know. A professional society is the key, often overlooked way to build networks, strengthen resumes and find professional development opportunities outside the classroom. As discussed in 2020 Developmental Biology The article titled “Professional Society Can Play a Critical Role in Career Development” provides members with conferences, workshops, virtual workshops and free resources and, in many cases, non-members.
These resources provide learning opportunities in multiple categories, including professional development, career deep diving and leadership training. My own organization, the American Society of Genetics, provides a series of leadership dialogue series organized by our early career scientists, in languages other than English and workshops on different types of careers and topics related to STEM accessibility. Each of these events provides an opportunity for our community to not only learn about a new career, skills or research topic, but also to provide our event organizers with a promotion of resumes and resumes whose volunteering provides the GSA with the ability to provide these resources.
Speaking for myself, when I returned to school in 2010, I joined the group aligned with my career and career goals: building a supportive community through Chicanos/Hispanic and Native American societies, building a professional community as a member of science, through the Graduate Association and Women’s Association of Science, through the Member Association of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, through the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and through the Society of Science, I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science, and I joined the Society of Science
As a transfer student with a previous degree, I was also enrolled in the Tau Sigma National Honor Society. Now, as a career development expert, I am an active member and volunteer in the Graduate Career Consortium. All of these memberships helped me guide my career today and opened up many opportunities for collaboration, event organization, volunteer work and personal career development. I can say without hesitation that my membership with GSA, MSA and NASW has led me directly into my current position and that my members of society have collectively informed me of the current developments in higher education, professional development opportunities and my own field of genetics.
When you scan the pages of each professional society, be aware of the many conferences, professional development programs and postings of these memberships that allow you to access. You may not be able to invest in multiple professional societies, which is great! Choosing a specific society as your “home” and focusing and engaging in this particular society is a great way to network; connecting with other like-minded professionals; collaborating on high-value, sales activities; and understanding the internal functioning of a professional society.
Choosing your society of interest seems daunting. Here are some tips to help you browse this choice and choose the best society for your needs:
- cost: Determine how much you can budget for your membership each year. You may need to save to cover this on a future date, so keep track of member renewal time. Contact your consultant, lab or department to see if they can and are willing to pay for a professional social membership for a portion of your graduate study. Many societies offer lower rates for students. Also check for low income exemptions – many offer discounts or exemptions due to financial difficulties.
- A live-specific society: If you are a physicist, then the American physical society makes more sense than the GSA. Social workers should join a society such as a social and social association. No matter your field, there is a professional society that serves your community! If you are unsure what society is in your field, ask your consultants and other teachers. You can also use this prompt to request an AI tool to compile the list and use the following prompt: “Create a table for the American scientific society [YOUR FIELD] academia. These columns should be social names, websites, upcoming meetings and membership costs for graduate members. “For example, with this prompt with “History” as a field, I received the following results from Openai’s Chatgpt:
Here is a table of a well-known American scientific society serving historians, including its website, upcoming conferences and graduate membership costs:
| society | website | Upcoming meetings | Postgraduate membership cost |
| American Historical Association (AHA) | Historian | AHA 2026 Annual Conference, January 8-11, 2026, Chicago | not specified |
| Organization of American Historians (OAH) | oah.org | 2025 American History Conference, April 3-6, 2025, Chicago | $51/year |
| American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA) | achahistory.org | 105th Annual Meeting, January 3-5, 2025, New York, New York | $20/year |
| The History of Social Sciences Association (SSHA) | ssha.org | 2025 Annual Conference, November 20-23, Chicago | $30/year |
| Technical History Society (Lens) | historyoftechnology.org | October 9-11, 2025, 2025 Annual Meeting, Luxembourg Esch-Sur-Alzette | not specified |
| World Historical Association (WHA) | wha.org | The 34th Annual Meeting, June 26-28, 2025, Louisville, Kentucky. | not specified |
Please note that membership fees and meeting details are subject to change. To get the most accurate and up-to-date information, it is best to visit the official website of their respective society.
You can see that not every result contains a cost, but because I have a website, I can quickly check and find that the American History Association offers a year of student membership for $42 and update my form accordingly. Since the meeting dates listed on the table are already past, I can also easily update information from the American Historical Organization and the American Catholic Historical Society to reflect the planned 2026 meeting dates and locations.
- Attend the meeting: Discuss with your consultant to attend meetings offered by the professional society you are interested in. Many societies offer travel fund awards, and if your advisor is unable to support your attendees, you can apply.
- View professional development opportunities for an organization: If the association has an early program or committee, please apply to become a member! These courses are a great way to bring your name to a large number of colleagues and build a network, as early career students who work with you will become your professional colleagues, who enter academia, industry and with you.
- Strategy for participation: Determine how much time you are willing to invest in volunteer opportunities and work hard to protect your time. Burnout is a quick way to turn a positive experience into a negative time, so add more as a large project only if you have time. You don’t want to be famous for unleashing on multiple collaborative volunteer opportunities!
When considering which professional society you should join, make sure you choose a society that aligns with your career goals and personal needs, which provides you with the best investment opportunities. Talk to your consultants to see if they have a society and start your professional social journey early to maximize your career.
