A GC reader wants to know:
is there a point in joining the calcpa?
I believe we've answered this before but it's a slow week already so why not revisit?
It depends on where you are in your career but state society membership can be beneficial for a number of reasons, especially if someone else is paying for it.
First, you might get discounts on CPA review materials. This is especially beneficial for student members, who usually pay no fee or a small fee for membership.
Second, you should be able to get some networking opportunities from membership. Whether it's mentoring or career opportunities or just keeping up with the latest and greatest in your profession from a local standpoint, state society membership is an easy way to stay plugged in.
Third, you may just find a way to give back or something outside of slaving away for partners that gives you some fulfillment. For some, that's tackling legislative issues that impact CPAs on a state level. For others, that's giving back to the community. Your state society of CPAs can be a great resource for these opportunities, so if you're at all interested in putting your skills to good use, maybe it's worth it.
But if you're the type interested more in collecting a paycheck than exercising your abilities and giving back, why bother?
Of course, the highlight of CalCPA membership as I remember from reading my CPA boss's newsletters was checking out the California CPAs shamed for various offenses in the back of every issue. You know: fraud, scams, bad tax returns, etc. That right there made his membership worth it for me but I wasn't the one paying for it every year.
Is there a point to anything in this profession? Behave accordingly.
