Engineering organizations offer a slew of opportunities for positive exposure for your business. In addition to members of the professional engineering groups who work within the industry in some capacity, you will have opportunities to meet and get to know other professional engineering group members, including businesses that support the metal engineering profession.

Affiliation with councils for engineering provides lobbying and networking opportunities that can be immensely helpful to your own business interests, while you support the industry. Membership in professional engineering organizations often means access to information and contacts that can be important to your own company. Regional professional engineering organizations offer even more chances to network with local business and industry leaders in your community. Use your membership in engineering organizations in a number of different ways.

1. Expand your network through professional engineering groups

2. Support the industry by participating in professional engineering associations

3. Land a better job through professional engineering group connections

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Develop business contacts in a professional engineering association

Engineering professional organizations hold regular meetings, seminars and conventions for members and interested parties. At engineering organization events, as well as through various committees in which you can participate, you will have numerous occasions to socialize and network with other business people who support and work within and for the engineering industry. The business leaders you meet could offer a number of trade opportunities for you and your company.

I recommend: The National Society of Professional Engineers is a professional engineering organization that provides a variety of different membership types to suit any business needs. The American Association of Engineering Societies links global engineering concerns for members to reach out and learn from others through a variety of venues and publications. The American Council of Engineering Companies serves more of the market representatives in the industry.

Demonstrate your interest by joining engineering organizations

If you want to do business with engineering companies in any kind of capacity, you will want to show your support as well as meet national and local leaders in the industry. You often can do this best by participating in professional engineering organizations with both your presence and your financial support.

I recommend: The American Institute of Engineers offers more of an intellectual base for its advocacy of engineers and scientists. A non-profit professional engineering association is the National Academy of Engineering, which supports education and advocacy through seminars, conferences and publications.

Show off your skills at engineering professional organizations

Whether you are just breaking into the engineering field or you are looking to further your career through a move to another company, you can make some great contacts at a professional engineering association. While working with the group and building relationships, you can utilize the educational portions of most professional engineering groups as well as proving yourself as a stable volunteer.

I recommend: The Society of Women Engineers is one of the women''s engineering organizations that promotes its members for jobs and continuing education. Like many of the more specific professional engineering groups, the National Council of Structural Engineers Association promotes growth within its own industry.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Join a committee in your professional engineering association to develop closer relationships with others who could be helpful to your career or who can send additional business your way.