When is the best time to start working towards IOSH Fellowship?

Most of us will probably think that we have to go through the individual categories of IOSH membership (Student, Affiliate, Associate (AIOSH), Technical (TechIOSH), Graduate (GradIOSH), Chartered (CMIOSH)) before we can even start to think about working towards IOSH Fellowship. That is certainly a mind-set that I have fallen victim too and one which shouldn't be the case. For those practitioners that do one day want to become a Fellow, I believe that regardless of your membership category, now is the time to start thinking about Fellowship. I've been a Chartered member of IOSH for six years and I am now just applying for Fellowship. When in truth during the five years that I have been a Chartered member (which is the time scale that you are required to be eligible for CFIOSH) I should have been doing more to work on my portfolio and particular areas needed to satisfy the criteria. IOSH set out the necessary requirements that a practitioner needs to be able to evidence in their portfolio and application and there is no reason why any practitioner cannot start thinking about, working towards and developing the necessary documentation and evidence for Fellowship. Rightly so, practitioners should be focusing their precious time and energy on achieving the requirements of the next membership category, however I do believe that you should not be put off or wait until you are eligible to apply. I believe that all practitioners should be striving to develop ourselves, raise the awareness of Health and Safety and the Institution and to progress through the categories. The truth is that you may be happy with your current level of status of the Institution and may not want to work on membership grade and that is fine. I've met many practitioners who are excellent regardless of their membership category, however this article is aimed at helping those who aspire to one day becoming a Chartered Fellow of the Institution.