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Professional recognition

What does it mean to be professionally recognised?

According to the Science Council, “A Professional Body is an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation.”

There are numerous professional bodies that contribute to the green agenda, both in the UK and internationally, many of which are licensed by the Society for the Environment (SocEnv). You could explore the option of gaining Chartered Environmentalist status, which reflects a high level of skill and experience for environmental professionals.

Furthermore, there are professional bodies across all sectors, such as construction, and finance, which may be more relevant to your role.

How can a professional body help you?

  • Helps to bridge the gap between studying and your career 
  • Provides access to a network of professionals 
  • Develops your knowledge in different areas related to your chosen field 
  • Demonstrates competence and commitment. 

Professional organisations can also help point you in the right direction of relevant training and qualifications, which meet certain criteria or standards. Like IEMA, many professional bodies will approve university degrees or training programmes, for example, so they can be a good first port of call when considering your next learning step.

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IEMA membership

In 2022, IEMA’s State of the Profession Survey highlighted that IEMA members’ salaries across sectors were higher than non-members’ salaries nationally in comparable roles, although there was variation between role types 

Other benefits of being an IEMA member include: 

  • Access to exclusive events and webinars 
  • A suffix that’s recognised globally 
  • Publications, news and resources, including our Transform magazine 
  • Networking 
  • CPD record. 
Find out more about IEMA
Photo of Neil Howe

Within the workplace, the IEMA Associate member exam helped focus my knowledge and gave me professional credibility, and an advanced EMS auditor course meant my company could use my skills to develop its consultancy work.”

Neil Howe
Head of Writing at Cedrec Information Systems Ltd 

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IEMA is the membership body for environment and sustainability professionals