RAeS - Information etc etc

[Jinkster]

Can I please ask whether it is worth joining the RAes (Royal Aeronautical Society).

What are the benefits of joining?

Jinkster

Sorry if this post is in the wrong forum :rolleyes:

[Genghis the Engineer]

Depends upon perspective.

If you are running in the middle ranks of a career in a company where you're intending to stay for most if-not all of your career, then it gives you an interesting monthly magazine, admission to a lot of interesting lectures, and not a great deal else. Mind you for that, I'd say it's worth the £25pa or so for affiliate membership, but arguably not worth the cost or time that goes with trying for higher grades.


If you are likely to change job in the near future, or are interesting in influencing or reaching the top of your profession, then I'd recommend joining and aiming for the higher grades.

Specifically it then offers:-

- The potential to add letters after your name (always good on a CV)
- Opportunities to mix with the great and the good of the profession (whether pilots, engineers, lawyers, administrators - all in aviation) from all backgrounds.
- Opportunities to be invited onto the committees that set or influence standards across aerospace. Similarly, access to those committees if you've got burning questions you need help with.
- Access to a stunningly useful (if difficult to find your way around without a guide) aeronautical technical library.
- Cheap(er) access into conferences on just about every aerospace subject imaginable from space law to light aircraft design.
- Somewhere in the centre of London to hold meetings for free and have a cheap lunch / drink.


Well it's worked for me so far. Higher grade membership isn't cheap (although I manage to persuade the company accountant to pay most of the £150-£200 per year I get invoiced), but for myself it's helped my career a lot - certainly to a far greater value than £200pa.

G

MRAeS

[SLF]

If it helps, these fees should of course be tax allowable in the UK.

Cheers - SLF

[Captain Airclues]

Details of the grades, qualifications and fees can be found on the RAeS website.

www.raes.org.uk

Airclues FRAeS

[BigGreenPleasureMachine]

Interested that you feel its helped your career, Ghengis. I am at the narrow end, (graduate engineer, done placements, struggling to get grad training), and tried to get some pointers from their careers service. Result was a curt letter telling me to buy Flight every week.

I joined as a student (have been upgraded to graduate) mainly with eventually getting chartered status in mind, but was a bit disappointed with their showing on this.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how membership benefits career path.

Regards, BGPM.

[Jinkster]

I am currently doing ATPL ground school - thanks for the posts I am not classed as full time education - so I don't think I can join as a student.

Will have to send them an email to find out what I can join as.

Thanks all.

Jinkster

[Genghis the Engineer]

Well the career centre certainly hasn't - for no better or worse reason than that I've never attempted to make use of it. BGPM's comment's about are similar to others I've heard, but having no personal experience I can't really comment.

The Young Members Board (YMB) has a scheme for placing newcomers to the professions like you chaps on the specialist committees. I know, for example, one young Engineer who got a stint on the Airworthiness committee as a fresh graduate, which I don't think was irrelevant to his subsequently getting a job in Airbus' airworthiness department. (No, I didn't do that either, I don't think that the scheme existed when I graduated.)

Regular attendance at society branch lectures helped me a lot in my early job hunting stages - partly from the chance to informally meet significant industry people before/after lectures, but mostly for gaining a good insight into what the industry was doing - both to help steer job hunting and give me some valuable interview material.

Job interviews - we all know that if you really want a job then at-least a week's in-dept preparation is needed for the interview, probably several weeks for a first graduate job (and speaking as an occasional job interviewer, there's nothing more frustrating than the large number of applicants who don't bother). There can't be many such interviews where the 4HP library can't set you up with enough material to handle yourself as well as possible, with any interview board.

Although technically main society membership isn't a pre-requisite (it does help) being involved in your local branch will also help your exposure to career opportunities. The local branch committee are probably the great and good of your local industry - if they've worked with you on branch stuff, consider you an able chap (or chappess) and know there's a job going in your line (and if they don't, who will ?) you may well benefit.

The magazine is useful again for interview material - although the jobs section is mediocre (having checked once, not many organisations can afford the ludicrous advertising fees!).

Attending relevant society events has helped me a lot. I'm personally a light aircraft specialist and largely through the society I've become on friendly terms with people like Darrol Stinton, Ann Welch (RIP), Dick Stratton, Francis Donaldson, John Edgley, Guy Gratton -industry household names with whom regular contact has allowed me to get what I was trying to achieve done and that has reflected on my career achievements.


So, broadly that's how it's helped me. A lot of it is ultimately "self-help" stuff; just like (select deity of your choice), the RAeS helps those who help themselves.

G

[BigGreenPleasureMachine]

Thanks, G. As with most societies, you'll only get something out it you put something in. I also feel that it looks good on a CV, in that it gives the reader the impression that you're serious about aerospace and aviation.

The useful nature of the library in boning up on companies is, I'm sure, directly proportional to your proximity to London. Its a bit of a trek for those of us on the auld sod.

Still, I've got an interview with a large (and very famous) aerospace company next month for a graduate position, and I'm sure the GradRAeS on the CV didn't do me any harm. Touch Wood.

So I think its worth the subs, Jinkster, especially if you intend a professional aerospace career.

Regards, BGPM.

PS sorry about the erroneous H Genghis.

[Genghis the Engineer]

It's a very dull mind that can only think of one way to spell a word !

Whilst I do live and work fairly close to London, I can't abide the place. However, the library index is available online to members, and they'll post books out to you, copy articles for you in exchange for the direct cost of postage and/or photocopying. I use this facility rather more than I visit the library in person.

G

[Jinkster]

BGPM,

Problem I have with joining is I went straight from college to ATPLs and currently studying for those. I do intend a career in aerospace, but not in full time education so what can I join as?

Jinkster

[Genghis the Engineer]

The general grading guide is at http://www.raes.org.uk/raes/first/membership/grading.asp

There is a much more specific guide that covers particular qualifications and experience in different sectors of the industry; but, to get hold of that you need to phone Hamilton Place and ask for a copy. I think however that you are probably looking at ARAeS or AMRAeS.

G

[Jinkster]

Has anyone used the library - how does it work? I am trying to access the library through the RAeS website, however it doesnt seem to work.

The members bar - what is it like? All i can imagine it to be is the Reform club in "Around the World in 80 days" (the 1960's ish film).

Many thanks in advance,

Jinkster

[noisy]

I wouldn't expect a career to fall on me through the RAeS or the IMechE or whatever, but it is probably worth it for the magazines and the letters after your name.

Noisy

ARAeS