[geeks] Professional Organizations

[alex j avriette]

> Employers will tend to look at experience and certifications before 
> looking
> at something you pay $50/year to be a member of.  The only thing I list
> on my resume is the ARRL (american radio relay league).  I figure with 
> all

theres more to it than that. if you go to conferences and subscribe to 
publications you can get "inside information" on positions which have 
not been made more public than the organization rag. for example, at ACS 
(http://www.acs.org/) we publish job listings for chemists that are 
marketed to employers as a way to get inside chemists. stuff that might 
not be in the sunday paper yet. and the more time i spend in the 
industry, the more im convinced its who you know, not what you know.

additionally, on the off chance that the guy who is interviewing you is 
also a member of XYZ organization you'll be awful glad you paid that $50.

oh i forgot to mention USENIX in my original reply to this thread.

alex