Hi! I’m April, a 20 year old psychology student at KCL (King’s College London) and I currently work as a summer intern at SocEnv. Before I joined, I knew very little about professional bodies or professional registration. So, if you’re just beginning your career and feel the same then keep reading!
What’s a professional body and why should you join one?
The purpose of a professional body is to support and empower its members. These bodies exist across all sectors and organise events, networking opportunities, education, and training with some offering different membership grades based on experience. Certain career paths actually require body membership – for example, I need to be a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) to meet my course requirements, and to pursue a career as a psychologist I’m required to maintain that membership and follow their standards of practice and ethics.
Even if you are pursuing a career path that doesn’t require you to be a member of a professional body, I would recommend joining one.
These organisations provide an invaluable source of continued professional development and recognition within your sector, with constant opportunities to build expertise and can enable you to become specialised in a sector. As a student, the BPS gives me increased access to journals allowing me access to continued professional development, meaning I can create the best coursework with the highest quality sources. They give you many opportunities to advance your career, allowing you to join a community of like-minded people. As a young person either still in or just emerging from education, it’s daunting to enter the world of careers; the events organised by professional bodies offer you opportunities to meet other young people in your sector, and to forge, potentially lifelong, connections, that can further your career.
What is environmental registration and how can it boost your career?
You can become professionally registered in most sectors, for example after my degree I would like to work towards gaining a BPS chartered membership which offers me a recognised standard amongst psychologists in the UK.
Unlike other professional registrations which are sector-specific, environmental professional registration offers recognition across all sectors.
SocEnv offers 4 different levels of registration via our licensed members:
- CEnv – Chartered Environmentalist
- REnvP – Registered Environmental Practitioner
- REnvTech – Registered Environmental Technician
- ELEnv – Entry Level Environmentalist
With one of these post-nominals after your name, you’re instantly recognised as someone who is acting with environmental knowledge and commitment to creating a sustainable future. To receive a registration with SocEnv you must be a member of one of our licensed professional bodies. Not every licensed body gives out every registration so check our SocEnv website for more details and to find the path that is right for you.
Registration provides you with recognised status beyond your sector and globally. This recognition can open many doors for you and enhance your career with the trust and credibility it provides. Additionally, it connects you to a network of over 8600 professionals all working in a similarly sustainable way, who will support you as you grow your career and the impact you can make.
Whether you’re a student, apprentice or just leaving education, joining a professional body and become professionally registered early is one of the best ways to kickstart your career. Start your environmental career now and give yourself a competitive edge over the rest!
April Stratton Burfitt – SocEnv
