Chair Report, June 2017: Interested in progressing your career? We are here for you.

If you are interested in progressing your career, joining a professional body such as the Australian Marketing Institute is a great start.

However, the value of being a member of a professional association is often under estimated.

I recently reflected on this when a marketing colleague asked why she should be a member of the AMI.  My response was:  it’s all about taking charge of your career.

Here are some of the benefits of being part of the AMI:

1. Stay up to date with the latest trends and developments: currency of skills is critical in taking charge of your career.  The AMI provides access to the latest trends in marketing practice either directly or through our partner networks. This includes access to thought leadership papers, webinars and pod casts free to our members.

2. Broaden your knowledge: developing your marketing knowledge doesn’t end when you complete your tertiary studies. That’s just the start. To help members expand their knowledge across all aspects of the marketing discipline, the AMI offers a range of on-line and ‘class room setting’ professional development programs. We also provide members with access to seminars and events featuring the cream of marketing practitioners either through AMI’s owned events or through special deals from our partners.

3. Enhance your networks: who you know can often be as valuable as what you know when it comes to career development.   The AMI facilitates a range of networking opportunities from localised informal gatherings to CMO forums that enable the most senior marketers interact at peer level.

4. Mentoring for growth: for those marketers starting out, the AMI has the Emerging Marketers program where young marketers can engage with senior marketers who can provide coaching and career guidance at no cost.

5. Professional standards and accreditation: the AMI is the only marketing related body in Australia to provide professional accreditation through the Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM).  Earning CPM status is a sign that you are investing in your career by staying up to date with the latest developments in marketing.  The AMI’s professional standards in marketing are based on the best of the rest of the world’s professional marketing bodies, but tailored to local requirements. What many members may not be aware of is that the AMI has accredited 40 university courses across Australia – that reflects how seriously marketing academics take the AMI.

6. Pride in your profession: you should have pride in being part of the AMI as it differentiates you from the rest – not all marketers are created equal!  And don’t forget, including your AMI membership designation on your resume can impress current or prospective employers as it shows you are dedicated to staying connected in your profession.

Bottom line is if you are serious about taking charge of your career can you afford not to be part of the AMI? Of course, it’s a two way street and you will only get the best out of your membership if you actively leverage it. It’s up to you.

Oh, and my colleague?  Well she signed up as a member of the AMI…

Andrew Thornton

Chair, Board of Directors