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What's in it for you to become a member?
We get it - the cost of membership needs to show some return on investment for you.
ICNZB are here to empower bookkeepers to become trusted and valued business professionals especially in the eyes of their clients/potential clients. But at a basic level, members expect to see some sort of tangible benefit.
And as part of our efforts to provide value to members, we do offer a range of tangible benefits (you can find them here >).
But membership to a professional body is so much more than what you can physically get - it is a lot to do with credibility and opportunity.
Let us explain!
Professional credibility is the key to advancing your career or bookkeeping business.
The value professional credibility can bring to your career is significant, especially when it comes to job search and promotion opportunities; and attracting new clients.
Membership to a professional body like ICNZB helps build this credibility by:
- Demonstrating your expertise.
Our Certified Bookkeeper and Master Bookkeeper members have demonstrated their knowledge of bookkeeping by passing our membership assessments. This validates to your employers or clients that you are competent and confident in your abilities - at a standard set by a professional body. - Building your personal brand.
You are boosting your professional brand with recognition from a professional body of your experience and expertise by promoting your membership. Membership badges and certificates are a "stamp of approval" for employers or clients which will set you apart from the crowd. - Inspiring confidence and trust.
You are a professional who has met our nationally recognised benchmark for excellence - which will inspire confidence in your employer, clients and peers. - Staying current and relevant.
You are a professional committed to your own development - you stay on top of the latest industry information, access learning and development opportunities and networking opportunities with other experienced professionals. - Upholding ethical values.
You are an ambassador for the profession, acting with practice competence, confidentiality, diversity awareness, integrity, objectivity and professionalism.
Our top 5 reasons to join!
We know we are biased, but by tapping into a network of like-minded career people, you may gain a lot more than you expect. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a well-established employee or manager, joining a professional membership organisation can be a great way to connect with people you would otherwise never meet, and gain unexpected benefits.
Everyone has a different motivation for joining a professional body, here are our top 5:
When you want to get to the top, pronto.
If you have clear career goals in your sights, and you want to achieve them as quickly as possible, then it will certainly pay to put yourself out there.
By joining a membership organisation, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do just that – whether it’s by attending events, connecting online, or contributing content to a blog or LinkedIn.
Building a professional profile is especially important when you’re first establishing your career as an employee or a business owner. After all, no matter what business you’re in, it helps to meet people you wouldn’t cross paths with in the office kitchen – broadening your perspective, opening up potential job opportunities down the track or seeking out business development opportunities.
As the old adage goes, “sometimes it’s who you know, not what you know.”
When you are running a business, and feeling a little isolated.
Running your own show has many perks: freedom and flexibility for a start. But while it’s exciting, the life of an entrepreneur can also be a lonely one – and you may find yourself missing those small human interactions you once took for granted in a bigger office.
This is where being a Member of a professional body like ICNZB can make all the difference.
Not only do you have events to look forward to, you can even take advantage of getting corporate discounts!
When you’ve reached a career plateau, and aren’t sure what’s next.
When you have been working in the same industry for a while, a time might come when you hit a wall. You’re not sure how to progress, or what direction to move in – and chances are, there will be a limit to how much people in your existing organisation can help you. If you’re in this particular boat, it can really help to take a step back and talk to people outside your immediate orbit – and of course, joining a professional community is an easy way to find them.
Seeking advice from people with different perspectives can help you see your own situation more clearly, and it could even inspire you to make a career change you’d never previously considered. You might have a light bulb moment attending one of network meetings.
Or if you really want to stand out, ICNZB is also the only organisation to offer Master Bookkeeper membership: a nationally recognised designation that can really set you apart.
When you’ve got a dilemma you’re not sure how to solve.
While it’s easy to ask for help when you’re starting out in your career, it can become harder as you rise up through the ranks of management. Not only will there be fewer people around who are more senior than you, there can be politics that prevent you from wanting to seek their help. That said, no matter how experienced you are, there will be moments when you need a second opinion – maybe you have a tricky employee to manage, or maybe you’ve lost touch with what’s considered best practice in your sector.
This is certainly a time when a membership organisation like ICNZB can help.
As well as connecting you with valuable learning resources (including blogs and webinars), we can also put you in touch with people who’ve ‘been there, done that’ through our monthly Regional Meetings and National Meetings. Here you can meet peers who can provide guidance without any strings attached. Because, no matter what level you’re at, leadership is a skill that you never stop learning.
When you’ve reached a point where you’d like to give back.
Chances are, you won’t have reached your current level of success without the help of at least one or two people. If you were really lucky you may have even had a mentor who shared their advice and knowledge at critical points in your career.
What’s important to remember is that these relationships aren’t just valuable for the mentees – they’re also very satisfying for the mentors.
If you’re at a stage in your career where you have valuable wisdom and life lessons to share, why not give back by sharing your knowledge with others at our Regional Meetings?
Sharing your knowledge through a membership organisation means you can make a real contribution to your industry. You might even find yourself learning a thing or two from the people you help – and at the very least, you’ll gain fresh insight into topics you thought you knew back to front.
Bookkeeping is prominently cloud based work with the majority of businesses using online accounting software. Get access fast, reliable and secure internet with ICNZB's communications partner Voyager.
A major perk of our ICNZB membership is access to the ICBenefits app! Not only is the app a way for us to communicate with you, it also provides you with discounts at major retailers
The Bookkeepers Liability Scheme conveniently packages the policies relevant to bookkeepers and provides added benefits negotiated especially for ICNZB members by Abbott Insurance Brokers.