Professional organizations provide a number of benefits to the occupational/professional groups that they serve. Associations help to pave the way for the profession to progress by offering seminars, publications, courses and industry updates. They set the standards of practice all the way from accreditation and certification to codes of ethics.
For individuals, organizational membership provides networking options and various benefits. Everything from LinkedIn groups to discounted insurance policies are available to members. One can advance his or her career and extend a personal budget by belonging to professional groups such as ASIS or IFPO.