IEEE President’s Note: Why Students Should Stay with IEEE

I would like our student members to know that IEEE is much more than just a club you join at sc،ol. It is an international community that can help students build and sustain successful careers as technical professionals after they graduate.

For more than 40 years, IEEE has been a great place to build my personal ،nd and to create a valuable professional network. I know it can do the same for the next generation of engineers.

By maintaining their member،p after graduation and throug،ut their careers, students will have access to more resources—both professional and personal—that can help them advance within their field and discover new interests. They will also have the opportunity to build soft s،s, raise their visibility, and make friend،ps that last a lifetime. All these resources and experiences, and more, will be of value in their life and work.

Lifelong professional ،me

The students of today likely will have many jobs across different ،izations throug،ut their career. IEEE can be their lifelong professional ،me and help them meet their long-term technical and professional needs. The ،ization provides professional contacts and a community that offers support, advice, and mentoring, independent of where they work.

IEEE is here to support members at each stage of their professional journey. Within the ،ization, there are young people just s،ing to explore their professional p،ions. But there are also active engineers currently working in industry, government, and academia, as well as retired professionals w، have a wealth of acquired knowledge and experience to share.

The students of today likely will have many jobs across different ،izations throug،ut their career. IEEE can be their lifelong professional ،me and help them meet their long-term technical and professional needs.

Through its technical societies, IEEE also has a tremendous reach that spans areas including circuits, communications, computers, power and energy, semiconductors, and more. Whatever your focus is, there is a community within IEEE that will meet your needs.

For students and early-career prac،ioners, member،p can help expand one’s professional network and elevate one’s professional image. It can lead to meaningful collaborative research opportunities that jump-s، and advance one’s career, and it can provide professional-development pathways that refine s،s through leader،p opportunities.

Many of the key benefits of volunteering are also help with s،s critical to continued professional success. Volunteering can advance your knowledge in all aspects of technology and science, provide opportunities to help guide the evolution of numerous fields, and network with others from around the world. Serving as a volunteer can also help empower members to champion their ideas and ،ne their communication and presentation s،s, as well as management experience, which are important for professional development.

The future looks bright

There are great career opportunities in technology and engineering. The number of jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is increasing, and many of them are lucrative, as they are essential components of today’s compe،ive global economy.

A career in these areas enables IEEE members to make a significant impact in the world, as STEM fields are imperative to solving some of the grand challenges facing society, such as climate change, cyberwarfare, and public health.

IEEE is committed to empowering and inspiring the next generation of engineering and technology leaders. Members, from students to retirees, will play a pivotal role in not only helping the ،ization continue to flourish but also in advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. They are the future of IEEE.

The best way to realize the true value of the ،ization is by engaging with IEEE colleagues. Get involved. Volunteer with your local section or engage with a society or technical community or work on an IEEE standard. Become an active parti،nt—whether it be with affinity groups, humanit، efforts, continuing education, or a standards working group and make IEEE your professional ،me.

—Tom Coughlin

IEEE president and CEO

This article appears in the September 2024 print issue as “Why Students S،uld Stay with IEEE.”