24 Member News – November 2018 www.theiet.org/volunteers MEMBER NEWS The truth about Council elections Have you ever considered standing for Council? Don’t let unfounded myths put you off; if you’d like to help shape the future of the IET and feel you’re up to the job, put yourself forward! Just like all organisations, the IET wants to attract the very best people to help develop and drive its strategy. It needs a diversity of skills, including worldwide representation from members at all career stages, to make sure it remains a relevant, respected and engaging professional institution, both now and in the years to come. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that myths surrounding the IET election process are deterring potential candidates from applying. Andrew F Wilson, Head of Governance at the IET, said: “The arrangements for IET elections have been changed a number of times over the years, to make them more inclusive. You don’t have to be a volunteer already; it’s the experience of the professional in the real world that matters. And you certainly don’t have to be UK-based either. “Personally, I think that the fear of not being elected to Council because of being a young professional is generally unfounded. Young professional candidates tend to stand only for election to positions on Communities Committees that are reserved for young professionals, whereas they really should stand for the other positions too. “If you’d like to be elected, my advice is to do your research and be realistic. If you feel that a particular position is right for you, write a strong 300-word statement that reflects your skills and then stand for the position you feel best suited to.” You’ll find a wealth of information about the election process on the IET website. Council elections: the annual cycle n November – the call for nominations is published as a supplement with E&T Magazine (December 2018) n Early January – closing date for nominations n March/April – ballots n May – election results announced and appointments proposed n October – successful candidates take up office “ I was elected to Council following a nomination by the Board of Trustees. It was all totally unexpected because I hadn’t done a great deal of volunteering and I assumed I’d be too young to be a Council member. This will be a massive development opportunity for me and I’m really excited about being able to help the IET change young people’s perceptions of the engineering profession.” James Garnham ICTTech TMIET, Council member and 2015 Apprentice of the Year “ Here in the Hong Kong Local Network there was a perception among many older members that only young professionals were getting through to Council. I’m not a young professional, but I stood for election because I felt that Hong Kong needed a representative voice on Council.” Justina Ho MIET, Council member, Volunteer Engagement Board member Members can nominate candidates, but the Board of Trustees is keen to know of candidates who would like to be nominated for election, stand for appointment, or both. Interested members should email sgodman@theiet.org and enclose an up-to-date curriculum vitae that details the skills and experience you could bring to Council. How can I get involved? The following positions are open each year to all categories of IET membership. n  Council – six vacancies n  Communities Resourcing Committee – one vacancy n  Communities Committees (CCs) – there are seven committees, each with one vacancy: –  Five regional CCs (members must reside in the region they represent) –  Young Professionals CC (member must be a young professional) –  Technical and Professional Networks CC Why get involved? n  Hone your communication skills n  Practise the art of negotiation n  Expand your knowledge n  Develop, both professional and personally n  Broaden your network n  Boost your CPD