There are many routes to establishing a career path in the world of work. It can be very helpful to forge contacts in the real world with professionals currently working in the field you wish to enter. Many government and business sectors have established professional and trade associations to foster communication and spread knowledge among practicing professionals, educate the public about their activities and agendas, and build relationships.
Joining such organizations and becoming an active member provides you with an opportunity to interact directly with established practitioners in your desired profession. Direct, engaged and energetic participation in a professional association can be a way to demonstrate your initiative to future employers and increase opportunities for finding that very important first job.
Many organizations will have discounted student membership rates. To get you started in your search, several organizations are listed on this brochure.
Benefits of joining a Professional Organization include:
- Networking with professionals
- Strengthening your resume
- Learning about job opportunities
- Attending conferences & seminars
- Increasing your expertise & knowledge
Ohio State Organizations
There are also many university clubs and organizations you can join. College provides an opportunity to establish connections and friendships that can last a lifetime. This is an important dimension to your total educational experience at The Ohio State University.
Student Clubs
With over 1,000 student organizations, Ohio State provides a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved. Student organizations have a significant impact in providing effective learning environments for students, preparing them to live in a multicultural society and work in a global community.
Columbus Area Organizations
American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS)
ASIS’s mission is to increase the productivity & effectiveness of security professionals through the provision of educational services.
Central Ohio Rescue & Restore Coalition
Central Ohio Rescue & Restore Coalition's mission is addressing human trafficking in the Columbus, Ohio area.
Columbus Council on World Affairs (CCWA)
CCWA is Central Ohio’s leading educational resource for international affairs.
Columbus International Program (CIP)
CIP is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting international understanding through intercultural exchange.
Franklin County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
The Franklin County CERT program helps train ordinary citizens to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities.
Habitat for Humanity, Columbus
Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 homes worldwide, providing shelter for more than 1 million people in nearly 90 countries.
National Military Intelligence Association of Ohio
NMIA's goal is to support the professional development of military intelligence practitioners and improve the effectiveness of joint military intelligence operations.
Ohio Commission on Hispanic / Latino Affairs (CHLA)
CHLA’s mission is to advise the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, and state government agencies on all matters affecting Hispanic Ohioans.
United Nations Association, Columbus Chapter (UNA)
UNA Columbus: Through educational outreach programs such as the International Community Forum, the Columbus International Festival, and the national high school essay contest, we strive to present forums to encourage understanding about internationalism generally and the United Nations specifically.
National Organizations
African Studies Association
The ASA's mission is to bring together people with a scholarly and professional interest in Africa.
AIESEC
AIESEC offers young people the opportunity to be global citizens, to change the world, and to get experience and skills that matter today.
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
AFSA is the professional association of the United States Foreign Service.
American Non-Governmental Organizations Coalition for the International Criminal Court (AMICC)
AMICC is a coalition of non-governmental organizations committed to achieving through education, information, promotion and an aroused public opinion full United States support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the earliest possible US ratification of the Court's Rome Statute. AMICC is a program of the United Nations Association of the United States of America.
American Public Health Association Student Assembly (APHA-SA)
ALPHA-SA is a student-led international organization within the American Public Health Association representing students of public health and other related disciplines. We are dedicated to enhancing students' professional development by providing resources, fostering diversity and promoting opportunities.
Americans for Informed Democracy (AID)
AID empowers young people in the US to address global challenges such as poverty, disease, climate change, and conflict through awareness and action. AID promotes just and sustainable solutions at the campus, community, and national level.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all.
Association for Asian Studies (AAS)
AAS is a scholarly, non-political, non-profit professional association open to all persons interested in Asia.
Association for Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO)
AFIO is a non-profit, non-political, educational association for current and former intelligence professionals and supporters of the US intelligence community.
Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (CCEIA)
CCEIA aims to be the world's central address for ethical decision in international affairs through programs and publications.
Foreign Policy Association (FPA)
The FPA serves as a catalyst for developing awareness, understanding of, and providing informed opinions on global issues.
International Association of Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA)
BPIA encourages people of color to participate more fully in the international community and in preparing constituents for leadership roles in world affairs.
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
IAEM which has members in 58 countries, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the goals of saving lives and protecting property during emergencies and disasters.
International Association of Intelligence Education
A professional association that provides a catalyst and resources for the development of Intelligence Studies.
International Economic Development Council (IEDC)
The IEDC is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to helping economic developers do their job more effectively and raising the profile of the profession.
International Political Science Association (IPSA)
The IPSA, founded under the auspices of UNESCO in 1949, is an international scholarly association.
International Relief & Development (IRD)
IRD’s mission is to reduce the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable groups and provide tools and resources needed to increase their self-sufficiency.
International Studies Association (ISA)
A group of scholars and practitioners founded the International Studies Association (ISA) in 1959 to pursue mutual interests in international studies.
International Trade & Finance Association (IT&FA)
IT&FA is a multidisciplinary association for academics and professionals, interested in studying international trade and finance, and in promoting a general awareness of these fields and related global economic issues.
Latin American Studies Association (LASA)
LASA is the one Association that brings together experts on Latin America from all disciplines and diverse occupational endeavors, across the globe.
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Since 1946 MEI has been an important conduit of information between Middle Eastern nations and American policymakers, organizations and the public.
Middle East Studies Association (MESA)
MESA is a non-political association that fosters the study of the Middle East, promotes high standards of scholarship and teaching, and encourages public understanding of the region and its peoples.
National Association for Business Economics (NABE)
NABE® is an association of professionals who have an interest in business economics and who want to use the latest economic data and trends to enhance their ability to make sound business decisions.
National Military Intelligence Association (NMIA)
NMIA provides all of our members a forum to learn more about the activities and contributions of military intelligence and opportunities to network at our events.
Naval Intelligence Professionals (NIP)
The goal of NIP is to further the knowledge of the art of maritime intelligence, and to provide a vehicle whereby present and former Naval Intelligence Professionals may be kept informed of developments in the Naval Intelligence community and of the activities and whereabouts of past shipmates.
Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT)
OWIT is a non-profit professional organization designed to promote women doing business in international trade by providing networking and educational opportunities.
Rotary International
Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.
Sierra Club
The Club is America's oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization.
Society for International Development (SID)
SID is a global network of individuals and institutions concerned with development which is participative, pluralistic and sustainable.
Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC)
SEAC (pronounced "seek," as in "seeking“), is a grassroots coalition of student and youth environmental groups working together to protect our planet and our future.
United Nations Association of the United States (UNA-USA)
UNA-USA is a network of people around the country in an organization working for a world in which humanity is spared the scourge of war, human rights are honored, the natural environment is protected.
United Nations Association, Student Alliance
Student Alliance serves as the umbrella program for all student participation in UNA’s educational programs and humanitarian campaigns such as Global Classrooms, Adopt-A-Minefield and HERO.
United States Center for Citizen Diplomacy
United States Center for Citizen Diplomacy's goal is the development of resources which will enable the establishment of best-practices in citizen diplomacy and the recruitment of persons to serve as U.S. citizen ambassadors to the world.
Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP)
YPFP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to fostering the next generation of foreign policy leadership.
Young Professionals for International Cooperation (YPIC)
YPIC is a program of UNA-USA that seeks to engage young professionals in discussions of international affairs, emphasizing the importance of multilateral cooperation & the U.N.
Download this professional organizations brochure [pdf]
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