Dedicated one-to-one support for you
Being an ARA member means you can always get some support when things get tough or, if, as a lone worker, you just need a sounding board.
Peers from sections, groups, nations and regions offer informal support, ARA staff offer one-to-one support and New Professionals can sign up for Peer Pals, and those undertaking registration will have a mentor as part of that programme.
ARA prides itself on its ability to respond to individual member queries on a one-to-one basis with a named member of the staff team. We don’t have chat-bots, automated messages or long waits for a response. We are here to help you navigate the benefits ARA can offer and to help you in your career with advice and support that is specific to you and your circumstances – whether that’s finding a particular report on the website or fighting to keep your service open – we are here and ready to help. We are open to our members’ ideas and proactive in helping them take that forward when appropriate – for example with our new Environmental Sustainability Group.
Support from Peers and ARA Staff
When you are a member of ARA you are a member of a supportive community of professionals.
ARA members who are going through the Professional Registration programme have a formal mentor to help them with the process. A mentor gives a different professional perspective, focusing on supporting your onw career development, encouraging reflection and helping you chose career experience to demonstrate in application for professional registration.
The Section for New Professionals has a Peer Pals informal support scheme - matching people in similar roles who are in the first few years of their career.
As a volunteer with ARA you can call on other members of the team you are working in for help and support.
ARA staff are also available to offer one-to-one support on a variety of issues. It can be informal support - just helping you think something through, or we can step in as a representative to help you if you think your job or service are under threat.
Support for job seekers and recruiters
ARA Members looking to find or change jobs can get a free CV review.
ARC Recruitment is a paid for job advertising publication and ARA Members receive it straight to their inboxes.
Chris Sheridan, our Head of Professional Standards and Development offers informal job and careers guidance. He can also provide guidance to recruiters on best practice in recruitment, particularly in regard to diversifying the workforce.
Pay Review Guidelines
ARA’s Pay Review Group produce pay guidelines each year. These guidelines help members to benchmark their own pay and give them useful data with which to make a case for their own salary review and for that of any staff they manage.
The guidelines can also help services in budgeting and recruitment.
Pay Review Guidelines can be found here.
Support for Freelancers
Our Pay Review Guidelines also include freelancers and ARA members who work as freelancers or consultants can advertise their services (free) through the Freelance Consultant Directory.
Health and Wellbeing
As well as running webinars and training sessions from time to time we also have a series of wellbeing guides specifically aimed at recordkeepers. You can find the guides here.