Summer is almost ending, and the membership renewal period is approaching. If you’re wondering how to make the most of your AIHA membership, I’ve compiled a list of AIHA’s top five member benefits, based on the results of the 2020 survey on what matters the most to members.

1. Educational and Professional Development Offerings

More than half of those who responded to the member needs survey said their professional goals for the next 12 months included expanding their level of technical knowledge or mastering core competencies. More than half also wanted AIHA to help them earn and maintain certifications and designations to represent OEHS professionals at the national level. In other words, a critical way that AIHA members want AIHA to support them as OEHS professionals is through providing continuing education courses and programs.

AIHA University is where you go to meet your professional goals. As an AIHA member, you will be able to get discounted rates for:

• elearning courses that offer learning on the go
• certificate programs for specialized knowledge
• access to online courses, webinars, and OnDemand session recordings
• bodies of knowledge and skill outlines for professional competency
• continuing education and certification maintenance

2. Award-Winning Publications

Almost two-thirds of members indicated that staying current on trends impacting their work helped them feel connected to AIHA. AIHA produces cutting-edge resources such as The Synergist (top rated by members!) and the peer-reviewed Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH). AIHA members have options, depending on their membership classification, of subscribing to either print or digital copies of these publications.

You may be unaware of the benefit of receiving The Synergist Weekly, our weekly newsletter; the SynergistNOW blog, which is updated biweekly; and The Synergist Newswire, a weekly roundup of media coverage of the industrial hygiene and OEHS industries. To ensure that you receive updates from these publications and other important email communications from AIHA, you should add the email address [email protected] to your "safe senders" list. For questions about Synergist email delivery, please contact the Synergist editors. To subscribe to AIHA’s free SynergistNOW blog, fill out this form.

Would you like to contribute to the SynergistNOW blog? Check out the blog author guidelines and share your idea for a blog post with the editors.

3. New AIHA Mentoring Program

In support of members’ professional development needs, we’ve upgraded our mentoring program to a new, easy-to-use, all-in-one platform that can be accessed on your mobile device. Enrollment in the program is now a one-step process, and the new platform provides algorithm-based matching for mentors and mentees, calendar syncing, meeting scheduling, chat, and video calling. Enrolled mentors and mentees can access the AIHA mentoring library, a series of self-paced learning modules on topics such as how to set goals or how to become a high performer. The new platform provides a virtual space for the mentoring community, where mentors and mentees can interact with peers and attend events, workshops, and webinars.

The AIHA mentoring program is a benefit for members only, including international members, that supports your professional development. For more information on the new mentoring program, visit AIHA’s website or read “The Future of Mentoring” on the SynergistNOW blog.

4. Catalyst Community

Networking and feeling connected is another top priority for members. Joining the Catalyst community is a membership perk that will keep you up to date on your OEHS colleagues’ and peers’ discussions and important AIHA member announcements, events, and news. It’s a community of health and safety specialists, students, professors, and occupational nurses from all segments of the industry, at different professional stages, and from all over the world.

If you are an AIHA member and don’t know where to get started, sign in using your member credentials and set up your profile. The more information you include in your member profile, the better tailored your Catalyst experience will be. Within minutes, you’ll be able to join forums, interact with your peers, post discussions, and put your name out in the online OEHS community.

5. CareerAdvantage

Career advancement and satisfaction are important to our members. Consequently, the Career and Employment Services (CES) Committee assists AIHA members in identifying employment and career opportunities through CareerAdvantage, AIHA’s online job board. AIHA’s CES Committee provides one-on-one career counseling and tips on:

• resume critiquing
• developing a career portfolio
• interviewing
• cover letter writing
• networking opportunities

To get started, visit the CareerAdvantage webpage.

Another members-only benefit is access to the interactive salary and compensation calculator tool. Have you ever wondered how your salary and compensation compare to the market? In 2019, 2,347 industry professionals, representing 21 percent of the 10,951 invited to participate, completed an AIHA survey about salary and compensation. The resulting study provides AIHA members with detailed information on compensation practices within the OEHS field, including salaries, bonuses, benefits, and other relevant metrics.

Membership renewals for 2022 start at the beginning of October. We look forward to seeing you next year and supporting you with tools, resources, and platforms to help you do your job and let your voice be heard.

Not an AIHA member? It’s easy to join and take advantage of all the member benefits available to you today!