We're all used to the idea of having qualifications entitling us to put letters after our names - BSc, MSc and so on - to certify our educational achievements. Accreditation enables you to gain letters to go after your name to certify your achievements in your job. Given that employers are generally far more interested in your ability to deliver results in the job than to pass exams, accreditation is a highly valued addition to a degree.

There are four grades of accreditation

• Candidate Associate of The OR Society (entitling you to use the letters CandORS) for those either completing a degree with a substantial OR content or starting their first employment in OR. Candidate Associates are appointed a mentor to help guide them through the first couple of years in their OR career, and to set them on their way to the higher accreditation grades.
• Associate of The OR Society (AORS) for recent entrants with a couple of years in OR, post first degree
• Associate Fellow of The OR Society (AFORS), for those with a successful track record in OR extending over at least five years
• Fellow of The OR Society (FORS), for those with a significant record of achievement extending over ten years or more in OR.

The way it works is very simple. Entrants to the CandORS grade complete an extremely simple form to confirm their status and have this verified by a senior member of The OR Society. For the higher grades, you complete an online application form, in which you give details of your achievements in OR under a number of headings, and nominate two referees. Your application is then peer reviewed by an Accreditation Panel comprised of senior members of the Society, who assess whether, for example, an applicant for FORS has achieved what they would expect of a high flier of ten years' standing. The Panel, which is comprised of roughly equal numbers of practitioners and academics, interprets the term 'OR' broadly in arriving at its decisions.

Candidates for accreditation must be paid-up members of The OR Society andmust also meet the requirements set out in the rules. Entrance to the CandORS grade is free, but applicants ot the higher grades pay a non-returnable application fee and an annual supplementary membership fee in addition to the relevant membership subscription. Only one application fee is payable, so those who enter early in their careers as Associates, for example, can subsequently apply to move up to the higher grades without payment of further application fees.

If you're a young, ambitious operational researcher who's aiming to achieve FORS in due course, here are some tips which can help you. Remember these are for the long term and you don't necessarily have to do all of this, but it does all help.

• Aim to get a balance of experience. If you're an academic, aim to engage in industry-based projects or research; and if you're a practitioner, engage in training (whether by training colleagues, ensuring that staff are well-trained, or getting well-trained yourself).
    
• Take opportunities to put your work in the public domain, whether by giving conference presentations, putting it into FreeXchange, writing articles for OR Newsletter of OR Insight, or papers for publication in OR journals. It will strengthen your case if you have exposed your work to judgement by peers, other than colleagues, in this way.
    
• If you want to become a Fellow, take responsibility and aim for a managerial role.
    
• Get involved in the life of the profession by participating actively in regional societies and study groups, or helping in the running of The OR Society or similar bodies.