Getting Involved in Professional Organizations: A Gateway to Career Advancement

Abstract

Graduate students and new professionals in psychology have many options for career development. One of the most useful decisions a new or emerging psychologist can make is to join a professional association. Psychological organizations provide opportunities for personal and professional development, and offer opportunities to serve the discipline and society at large. Since the late 1800s, psychologists around the world have been organizing themselves into psychological associations to promote clinical, research, or personal interests. The great variety of psychological associations that exist today offer unique opportunities to network, share research, exchange ideas, and learn about critical developments within the field. This chapter will briefly describe relevant aspects of psychological organizations, emphasizing specific opportunities they offer to graduate students and to early-career psychologists.