The benefits of SENSE: how the Society has shaped my career as a language professional

By Claire Bacon, 17 December 2025

It’s that time of year again – time to renew my SENSE membership. I have now been a member for 10 years, so what better time to look back on how SENSE has supported me in my work over the years?

The people

For me, one of the biggest advantages of SENSE is the camaraderie within the Society. I have always felt very welcome in SENSE, even though I live in Germany and do not speak Dutch. When I joined SENSE back in 2015, I was in the early stages of leaving academia to set up my language editing business. Everything was new and a little overwhelming, but my fellow SENSE members, many of whom had been in the business for years, helped me enormously with their advice and encouragement. As time passed, networking within the Society helped me to build up my client base and a thriving editing business. It also introduced me to exciting new work opportunities, including teaching scientific writing, which I enjoy tremendously. When harder times hit us a few years ago, it was extremely helpful to be able to discuss these challenges openly with fellow members at in-person and online events.

Getting involved

A great way to network is to get involved! At my first SENSE event (the 25-year Jubilee in 2015) I agreed to write an article about the event for the SENSE magazine. Shortly after, I joined the SENSE Content Team, which is responsible for producing and editing the content that SENSE publishes. Writing and editing articles for the SENSE magazine and later the SENSE Blog not only helped the Society but also increased my visibility among fellow language professionals. This has led to many referrals of work over the years. You can find out more about volunteering for the Society here.

Professional development

SENSE also offers a variety of opportunities for professional development, and there really is something for everyone! Over the years I have attended a number of professional development days, conferences, and workshops organized by the Society – both online and in person – and have always been impressed by how much these events cater to my needs as a language editor for academics in the health and life sciences. As well as learning what’s new in the industry and sharpening my skills, these events were a valuable opportunity to meet old friends, make new contacts and exchange useful ideas. There is always something going on in SENSE and you can find out more about upcoming events here.

Special interest groups

SENSE caters to the specific needs of its members through special interest groups (SIGs). Like many editors, I sort of stumbled into the profession by accident! An advantage of this is that I became a very niche editor, using my background in scientific research to shape the kind of editing work I do – mainly scientific research articles and grant proposals. Fortunately for me, SENSE has two great SIGs that offer meetings for editors working with academics: SenseMed and UniSIG. These meetings have been a great way to support my specialized editing work over the years. You can find out more about the many SIGs that SENSE has to offer here.

Join the community!

I doubt I would have gotten as far as I have as a language professional if I hadn’t joined SENSE. The Society welcomes all language professionals and offers a vibrant and supportive community. To learn more about the many benefits of joining the Society and what it can offer you, visit the SENSE website.