I just got a letter from ACS asking me to join and saying I was nominated for membership. Who would nominate me? I am a PC and network technician. Before that, I worked on an assembly line. I have never worked in, gone to school for, or gotten a certificate in chemistry. I had one engineering chem class in college, and that was my only experience in chemistry. Is this some kind of scam? Did they make a mistake?
It’s my fault. I wanted the fancy Member-Get-A-Member periodic table blanket. Sorry.
Seriously, I do want one of those blankets. I just don’t have anyone to nominate.
Odd. It’s almost like they just want your money and send those out to anyone. No idea how you got on their list though.
I’m guessing that you work (or have worked) for a chemical company and you got on a mailing list.
They come in neon colors too, but they’ll cost you a pretty nickel.
Are you running a little side business in your garage?
Don’t pay the extra-only the “neon” symbol comes in the neon color. Totally not worth it.
I went to school for electrical engineering and I’m a member of the IEEE. Still get lots of literature telling me to join ASCE (civil engineers) ASME (mechanical) and SAE (automotive engineers). Makes a little more sense than recruiting a networking guy for a chemical society though.
Maybe you did well in your chem class in college? I aced micro and macro economics as a freshman, and every semester after that the economics department would send me a letter imploring me to switch majors and telling me I’d be a great asset to the econ department. So maybe your chem professor submitted your name and thought “all he has to do is get one offer to join ACS, and he’ll see the light and become a chemist!”?
The factory I used to work at was owned by the same investment firm as a couple of chemical companies. Maybe that’s why?
Somebody with the same name as you makes very high quality crystal meth?
we are all chemicals.
Does ACS membership serve as an academic or professional credential of sorts? E.g. does having a degree in Biology plus membership in ACS constitute an equivalency to a degree in Chemistry? Can more or less anyone “join” the ACS, or does joining require some proof (which someone may have already provided to them on your behalf) of competence in Chemistry?
Don’t know about ACS in particular, but generally regular professional society memberships don’t count for a lot unless there is significant exclusivity to it. E.g., IEEE has various levels of membership with Senior and Fellow requiring certain achievements and recommendations.
However, showing that you are a member of your field’s professional society demonstrates that you are “participating” in your field, which some hirers are interested in. Also sometimes checked off on the “not a total git” list for academic promotions.