Which Association?
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010There are a multitude of Security Industry related associations out there so the question is, which one should you join? Should you join more than one? Well, here are some questions to ask yourself before you put your hand in your pocket:
- what you are specialising in?
- do you have a budget?
- have you had any personal recommendations?
- what are you trying to achieve by joining an Association?
For those interested in the Private Investigations side of life we wholeheartedly endorse the Association of British Investigators. This Association is approaching its centenary which says a lot about any organisation. The ABI is not a free to join Association but it is one that is full of professional people who strive to represent the Association to the best of their ability. The ABI has the ‘one list’ where members can correspond with each other, asking questions, debating topics and asking for help with various jobs. Job postings go up ion a daily basis and are spread across the various roles of the Private Investigator. To join the ABI you have to undergo an interview and sit an entrance exam but do not be put off by this if you are new to the game, speak with them and they will advise you accordingly.
Ideally try to spread yourself locally, nationally and internationally when selecting your Associations. So, an example of local could be your local Chambers of Commerce, Nationally could be something like the ABI and internationally an organisation such as ASIS could be the way to go. ASIS has over 37 000 members and their website is well worth taking a look at. ASIS is another paid for membership but having a subscription does have certain benefits over the free ‘forums’ that seem to have proliferated over the last few years, the main one being professionalism. When you pay for something you are generally representing yourself or a company and have your reputation to uphold, as a free member under a ’screen name’ you can say what you want and have no fear of any loss of face/reputation at all. There is nothing professional about this at all and it will do you no good so steer away!
One area that is free that has some very high level discussions going on is LinkedIn and this is well worth checking out as it can be a great way to connect with those in your sector or those in sectors in which you have an interest in pursuing new contacts. LinkedIn has some seriously high level discussions going on so make sure that you represent yourself to the very best of your ability or you could end up looking really bad in front of those that you are trying to impress the most.
Argus Europe is a corporate member of The British Bodyguard Association , an Association that Nick McCarthy, one of our instructors and operators, is heavily involved with. The BBA is a not for profit organisation that has various membership scales starting at £40 for individual members, that works out at around 77p per week. For this you get 1 years membership, a membership pack including a members lapel pin, certificate of membership, the latest issue of The Circuit Magazine along with some promotional material from various sponsors. You also get a yearly subscription to the magazine which is published quarterly. The BBA has a members only online area where the etiquette is excellent. There is also a employment section to which members can subscribe and receive e-mail alerts when a new position is posted. We believe that this excellent value and something that is aiming to improve professionalism within the industry across the board.
So then, above are some places to take a look at as you begin your search for the Association of your choice. If you have a budget then stick to it and if you cab get recommendations from others then make use of them but be aware that just because Association ‘a’ was not recommended by one person it does not mean that it will not work for you! What do you want out of it? Work, networking or information gathering? Make sure that you know before you take the plunge but take the plunge you must.
Good luck!
