How to List Professional Affiliations on a Resume [+ Examples]

When you’re in the thick of the job search, you want to make sure you’re adding the right professional details to catch a recruiter's or hiring manager's eyes. You’re likely sharing your relevant experience and skills, and maybe even your degree and a professional resume summary. But what about memberships and professional affiliations?

How do you know what professional affiliations and memberships to add—and when and where should you include them on your resume? This guide covers why these additions are valuable, how to know when to add them, and how to format them on your resume.

Struggling to land interviews? Try Teal’s free AI resume builder. 

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Understanding memberships and professional affiliations

Memberships and professional affiliations are connections to professional organizations related to the practice in a professional industry.

Memberships and professional affiliations both indicate you’re connected to professional organizations.

Professional organizations include:

• Industry-specific organizations: Professional associations focused on a particular field
• Generalized professional organizations: Broader professional associations focused on a larger professional area
• Certifications: Certificates awarded by professional associations after completing training or passing an exam
• Professional service organizations: Professional associations providing community service and networking opportunities
• Specialized organizations: Groups centered on a specific niche within an industry
• Unions: Organizations representing workers’ interests, advocating for fair wages, benefits, and working conditions
• Charitable organizations: Non-profit groups dedicated to specific philanthropic causes
• Civic organizations: Groups focused on improving community life through volunteer work (Learn how to list volunteer experience on your resume.)
• Board memberships: Serving on the governing body of an organization, whether it’s a for-profit company, a nonprofit, or a public institution, to help oversee the organization’s strategy, direction, and performance
• Academic honor societies: Organizations that recognize individuals who excel in academics or leadership, usually at high schools or universities

Specific associations enhance a candidate's credibility and demonstrate their commitment to their industry.

Adding either a membership or professional affiliation can increase your credibility on your resume by showing you’re dedicated to your industry. You’re demonstrating that you go above and beyond to network with like-minded professionals, contribute to advancements in your industry, and keep up with new skills and trends.

“When I review resumes, I look for affiliations because they usually signal commitment and a network within a specific industry,” says Jon Morgan, CEO and editor-in-chief of Venture Smarter, a business consulting firm.

According to Morgan, affiliations are how you can show your enthusiasm for an industry through community involvement.

“They prove you’re not just sitting around; you’re really getting involved and keeping up with the latest trends and how things are done. This is super important in fields where knowing the right people and staying current is a big deal.”

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Professional affiliations vs professional memberships meaning

While memberships and professional affiliations both indicate you’re connected to one of these organizations, the terms differ slightly:

• Affiliation: a looser connection with an organization; you may serve on a committee, collaborate on projects, or attend conferences.
• Membership: being an official part of the organization, which may require paying a fee, contributing regularly, or adhering to certain codes of conduct. 

Typically, a membership indicates a more serious commitment to the professional organization than an affiliation.

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Membership and professional affiliation examples

Professional affiliation and memberships span a variety of career types, industries, and interests. Here are a few common professional affiliation examples by industry.

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28 professional affiliation examples for a resume

Finance

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board)
• Financial Analysts Federation (FAF)
• Financial Planning Association (FPA)
• Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
• National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB)

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Education

• National Education Association (NEA)
• American Association of University Professors (AAUP)

The education section of a resume can be used to showcase various credentials, certifications, and affiliations specific to the education industry.

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Engineering

• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

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Healthcare

• American Medical Association (AMA)
• American Nurses Association (ANA)
• American Dental Association (ADA)
• American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA)
• American Hospital Association (AHA)

Note: When writing a resume for healthcare professionals, it is crucial to accurately list specific associations and certifications. Designations like 'Registered Nurse' must be clearly stated on resumes, particularly when applying for roles that require specific licenses or degrees.

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Law

• American Bar Association (ABA)
• National Bar Association (NBA)
• American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)

Note: To legally practice law, it is essential to have the necessary educational credentials and bar admission. Law associations, such as the ABA, NBA, and AHLA, provide valuable networking opportunities and experiences that can enhance a professional resume for those planning to practice law.

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Management

• American Management Association (AMA)
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

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Marketing and Sales

• American Marketing Association (AMA)
• National Association of Sales Professionals
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

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Technology

• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Association of Computer Engineers and Technicians

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How to list memberships and professional affiliations on a resume

You have a relevant membership or professional affiliation you’d like to include—or maybe more than one. Here’s how to list memberships on a resume.

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1. Make a list of all your relevant memberships and affiliations

First, list all of your memberships and affiliations. This includes any organization you’ve worked with or been an official member of.

Then, narrow down which one of these are relevant to the role. When you're looking at the job description, consider:

• Does this membership or professional affiliation relate to the industry I want to work in?
• Does this membership or professional affiliation demonstrate I have the right job skills?
• Does this membership or professional affiliation demonstrate I have relevant portable skills?

If the answer is “yes” to any of the above questions, you should include the membership or professional affiliation on your resume.

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2. Put the affiliation in your professional summary

You have a couple options for where to put organizations on your resume: either in your professional summary or in a separate section. The professional resume summary is the best choice if you have one professional affiliation or membership.

The summary paragraph of a resume, typically structured as three to five sentences, should include relevant affiliations to demonstrate professional involvement and enhance the overall effectiveness of the summary.

In the professional summary, naturally work in the affiliation or membership by using a proven format.

Example of how to list affiliations on a resume

[Your Title] with [Number] years of experience, skilled in [Skill 1], [Skill 2], and [Skill 3]. Proven ability to [Achievement or Result]. Actively involved in [Professional Affiliation].

Or, if more subtly:

[Your Job Title] and [Organization Name] member with [Number] years of experience, skilled in [Skill 1], [Skill 2], and [Skill 3]. Proven ability to [Achievement or Result].

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3. Or, create a separate affiliations section

Sometimes, it’s OK to have sections beyond  “experience,” “education,” “skills,” or even “hobbies and interests.” If you have multiple affiliations, create a new section on your resume.

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Choose a title that most accurately reflects what’s underneath it; for example, if you’re listing two professional affiliations and one certification, you could use “Affiliations." Common titles for this section include:

• Affiliations
• Professional Affiliations
• Certifications
• Professional Development

List all of the organizations’ names—including the acronym, if applicable—and the dates, in years, of your membership of affiliations.

Teal’s Design Mode in Resume Builder can help add membership and affiliations without having to create a resume from scratch. In the “certifications” section, you can easily add professional affiliations and memberships with clear, customizable formatting:

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This section should live below your experience section.

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4. Include any relevant roles or skills

If you’ve held a leadership role in the organization, be sure to list the title. You can also use bullet points to list skills you gained if they aren’t included in other sections of your resume. 

If you’d like to add professional affiliations or memberships and add more details about them, you can use ​​Teal’s Design Mode in the resume maker and navigate to “Projects.”

For each professional affiliation, you can add the organization’s name, dates you were (or are) a part of it, and free-write any additional skills you built, projects you worked on, events you organized, or leadership positions you held. While you want to include key details, focus on keeping this section brief.

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Once you’ve added more information about your memberships and affiliations, you can change the section title in Teal’s Design tab.

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Affiliations on a resume example

Now that you know how to include memberships and affiliations on a resume, what should they look like? Here are a few examples.

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How to list professional affiliations on a resume

In this example, this person has multiple professional affiliations and certifications, so they’ve created a separate section to list all of them in one centralized place. 

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How to list professional memberships on a resume

In this example, memberships are in the professional summary at the top of the resume. This saves resume space and gives extra credibility to your summary right off the bat.

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Create Your Professional Summary with Teal

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How to list organizations on a resume

In this example, this job seeker has shared not only what professional organizations they’re affiliated with or a member of, but gives more detail about the roles they’ve played and skills they’ve learned. This legitimizes the affiliations section, helping it functionally act as an extension of their work experience.

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When to include memberships and professional affiliations on a resume

While memberships and professional affiliations can be helpful additions to your resume, there’s a time and place to include them.

“If you are in a technical role requiring specific expertise or a highly regulated field, such as education, finance, insurance, engineering, or computer science, listing a professional affiliation on your resume can strengthen the perception of your subject matter expertise and professional engagement,” says Phoebe Gavin, career and leadership coach.

Gavin emphasized that professional affiliations are especially useful for those in or seeking leadership roles:

“You'll also benefit from including your affiliation if you hold a leadership position or are a frequent contributor to the professional association, such as having a board seat, being a member of the leadership team, or serving as an educator, coach, or mentor in the association's programs.”

When else should you include memberships or professional affiliations on your resume?

• If it’s required: Read the job posting closely to see if the role requires a specific membership or affiliation. This is common for fields like law or health care, but can apply to any industry. If the role mentions a membership or professional affiliation in “preferred qualifications” and you have one, that’s a good sign to include it on your resume, too.
• If it’s relevant: If your professional affiliation or membership is in the same field you’re applying to, including it can show your industry expertise.
• To show commitment: Including a membership or professional affiliation shows you’re taking action to dedicate yourself to the field, demonstrating commitment, a growth mindset, desire to connect with like-minded people, and a passion for life-long learning.
• To demonstrate transferable skills: If you’re changing careers or entering a field you don’t have as much direct experience in, adding a professional affiliation or membership can show you have key skills and commitment to the role you’re looking for. 

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Common mistakes to avoid when adding memberships and professional associations

Adding a membership or professional affiliation to your resume is almost as easy as listing the organization’s name out and the year—but you should be more discerning when deciding which ones to include and how you list them.

Common resume mistakes when adding memberships and professional affiliations include:

• Adding irrelevant memberships or professional affiliations
• Including personal affiliations that don’t correspond to the role
• Listing outdated affiliations of groups you’re no longer a part of
• Neglecting to include relevant leadership roles or positions 
• Overusing or misspelling organization acronyms 

According to Morgan, relevance is key to knowing when to include affiliations on a resume:

“If your affiliations are not well-known or relevant to the role, or if you’re in a field where such affiliations aren’t valued, they might not add much value and could clutter your resume.”

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How to build relevant affiliations

If you’re looking to build professional affiliations or memberships to add to your resume, it’s never too late.

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Do your research

First, figure out what professional affiliations or memberships might be most beneficial to you and your career. Don’t just think of your current job—think ahead to what might benefit you a year, five years, or even ten years down the line.

“Start researching organizations relevant to your industry,” Morgan says. She gave specific tips on how best to go about this:

“Check their membership requirements and benefits to ensure they match your professional needs. Going to industry events or talking to current members can also give you a good idea before you decide to join.”

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Consider the size of the association

Gavin recommends joining one niche association and one large association:

“For my clients who are minorities, the valuable type of niche association focuses on the intersection of professional and identity.”

Niche associations are smaller, but tend to have more engaged members. These create a sense of community, says Gavin: 

“There may be professional associations that convene people in your function or industry who share your identity markers, such as being a woman, a person of color, or a member of the LGBTQ community. These groups are often passionate about supporting each other professionally, and being active in them can be very beneficial.”

While the smaller, engaged groups can provide direct support and community, Gavin still advises to look at larger associations, too—which may have more resources and recognition. 

“Don't ignore the larger, more general associations that host major conferences for your industry. They can also be incredibly valuable, but you might have to work a little bit harder to be noticed.”

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Work toward the requirements (if applicable)

Every professional organization is different. Some have no requirements and anyone can join. Others require years of experience or a certain score on an exam.

Once you’ve decided what organization you’re interested in, be sure you know exactly what you need to do to become a member. Then, start working toward it! Talk to other members to get tips on how they fulfilled their requirements and be sure to keep up with crucial deadlines and other organization rules.

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Show off your memberships and professional affiliations with Teal

Memberships and professional affiliations are a great way to boost your resume’s credibility. Being a member of a professional organization—or affiliated with one—demonstrates your commitment to the industry, willingness to network with like-minded people, and passion for learning more. 

While professional affiliations and memberships are usually a positive addition to a resume, it’s crucial to add them in a relevant, concise, and error-free way. Using Teal’s Design Mode feature can help you add these resume elements stress-free to ensure they bring the most impact. Sign up for Teal to get started for free.

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