The professional Standards Council of Australia has a 2-1/2 minute video describing the Benefits of Professions The benefits of professions | Professional Standards Councils (psc.gov.au). It's worth the 2 1/2 minutes. 

They also have a nice page with more information on What is a Profession? The academic view | Professional Standards Councils (psc.gov.au)

Benefits of Professional Association

• Recognition – consumers see Certified Professionals as someone with expertise who can be trusted to act with competence and integrity.

• Professional Development – association sponsored continuing education, seminars and conferences can help a professional continue to grow.

• Leadership Development – Leadership in an association can help a person develop the skills necessary to be a leader in their company, industry and community.

• Networking – supporting a professional association can put one in contact with prospective customers, vendors, employees and other business resources as well as deepen existing relationships with friends and colleagues.

• Information – a trade association can act as a clearing house for information that shared publicly and provide high-value information just to members.

• Advocacy – a professional association can speak on behalf of its members and lend credibility to their concerns regarding legislation, regulation and other external standards of performance.

• Purchasing - association members can agree to purchase things in quantity in order to negotiate reduced pricing.

What makes a Professional?

• A commitment to the interest of clients in particular, and the welfare of society in general.

• A systematic body of theory or special knowledge.

• A specialized set of professional skills, practices, and performances unique to the profession.

• The developed capacity to render judgments with integrity under conditions of ethical uncertainty.

• An organized approach to learning from experience, both individually and collectively, and thus of growing new knowledge from the context of practice.

• Participation in a professional community responsible for the oversight and monitoring of quality in training and education.