8th July 2010, 11:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 8th July 2010, 11:08 PM by trainedchimp.)
Quote:Think we already worked through all the pros and cons of IFA membership a month or two back, and IFA are clearly only interested in the views of their paid-up members (so much for claiming to represent the archaeological/heritage industry), so no, looks like the other 50%+ will have to stick with the fatalism, sorry
On the one hand, why should they bother with the views of non-paid up non-members - isn't that what any professional association or trades union would do?
On the other, according to the latest letter, if you're not a member it's up to me to persuade you of the benefits of joining.... apparently by not joining you're undermining all of my good work.
So here goes...
Erm...
Well...
Thinking...
Actually, for me it was pretty simple. It was a good way of demonstrating what I'd done and what level I'd worked at. Job titles in archaeology tend to be pretty well unrelated to what work you actually do, and I was doing MIfA level work on PiFA pay and JD. So I joined at AifA and upgraded as soon as I hit the the qualifying 3 years. It was effectively independent corroboration that I'd effectively been a PM for 4 years despite being nominally an assistant supervisor/supervisor. And it got me a decent PM job. Enlightened self-interest, works every time
That and if I hadn't I'd have effectively had to have joined as soon as I got the new job, as there isn't really an alternative, except perhaps IHBC, but I'm not an architect....
Oh yes, and private sector employers (if they're actually any good) are usually pretty happy to pay membership fees of professional associations, it looks good in tenders and IIP audits and the like, and I would have thought if Dino's employers were as generous as s/he reckons, they'd have paid for his/her fees....
Well, there you have it...
plus if you're a 'self-employed sub-contractor' you can always offset the fees against tax...