Using the Membership Directory to Make Connections

SIOP members enjoy numerous career-enhancing benefits, but one that might be easy to forget about is the SIOP Membership Directory. It can certainly be used to meet up with old classmates, congratulate an acquaintance on a recent award, or just for curious browsing. However, on a more in-depth level, it can be used to make professional connections that can continue throughout the years.

One example of how the Membership Directory can best be used includes the collaboration of SIOP members Kvon Tucker and Victoria Mattingly. In 2017, when Mattingly was just wrapping up her PhD program, she was interested in connecting with I-O professionals working in learning and development.

“SIOP is already a community of I-Os helping I-Os, especially I-O students and early professionals, and the Membership Directory affords direct access to that community,” she explained. “I knew that my grad student status was quickly coming to an end, so I wanted to take advantage of networking while I was still a student, rather than just another I-O professional.”

When using the Membership Directory, Mattingly chose “training” as a keyword for her search. Many results showed up, so she felt the best way to narrow in on a contact would be to see if their employer did something in which she had a personal interest. Eventually she came across Tucker’s name, and after seeing that his employer at the time was Netflix, she decided to reach out. From there, they started a conversation, and the years long partnership began.

“Continuing my relationship with Dr. Mattingly has exposed me to some new ways of thinking and some new ways of working,” Tucker shared about this experience. “It's been a pleasure to connect with her from time to time to catch up, talk shop, and share ideas about how we'd like to support our clients.

“We often talk about what's important to us, our challenges, and our successes. It's inspiring to hear from Dr. Mattingly and see how far she's come. To see her developing her business, expanding it and herself beyond what she had imagined just a couple years ago. I too, have been expanding my practice and a part of that expansion has to do with what I see as possible, thanks to colleagues like Dr. Mattingly. I like to connect with a lot of people and Dr. Mattingly is one of those folks I enjoy continuing to watch grow.”

Since making this connection, Tucker and Mattingly have collaborated on a number of projects together. One project was a live recorded “Ask Us Anything” webinar for graduate students, after realizing that many have similar questions.  

Every time you collaborate with another member, you are contributing to the advancement of the I-O psychology field. The next time you are looking for an opinion on a project, or even just read an interesting article by a SIOP member and want to strike up a discussion, considering making a connection through the Membership Directory. Access to this valuable resource, available whenever you need it, is included in your annual dues payment. SIOP also offers a number of Registries and a Consultant Locator that are open to the public but can also be used by members for similar purposes. If you’re interested in appearing in one of these directories, instructions can be found here.