Many occupations or activities have governing bodies, who oversee their members qualifications & activities. As such many have searchable membership directories / databases which can often be freely accessed to locate information about the members, their qualifications and their disciplinary history.
Accountants & Financial Sector UK icaew.com - locate an accountancy firm in the UK aat.org.uk - members' directory for the professional body for accounting technicians icas.org.uk - members' directory for ICAS, the world's oldest professional body for accountants icas.org.uk - published discipline tribunal notices for ICAS ifa.org.uk - search for an accountant with the IFA, which is an internationally recognised professional accountancy membership body, whose members work for small & medium-sized businesses or accounting practices cipfa.org - directory for CIPFA Members in Practice bookkeepers.org.uk - searchable members' database by area for the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers insolvency-practitioners.org.uk - membership register for the Insolvency Practitioners Association fca.org.uk - register of individuals who are approved to carry out certain activities in firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority financialplanning.org.uk - register of members of the Institute of Financial Planning accaglobal.com - register of members of the ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), a global body for professional accountants
Ireland charteredaccountants.ie - members' directory for the Chartered Accountants of Ireland cro.ie - members' directory for Ireland's register of auditors (accountants)
Worldwide cpaverify.org - searchable register of licensed CPA's & public accounting firms maintained by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the USA
Actors & Their Agents imdb.com - search via someone's name to see if they have been credited on any film or television work, not just for actors/performers spotlight.com - search for an actor/performer to locate their agents contact details etc whorepresents.com - paid for database of talent representatives
Architects & Surveyors architecture.com - members' directory for the Royal Institute of British Architects architects-register.org.uk - the UK Register of Architects, with only people on the Register legally entitled to use the term "architect" in business or practice rias.org.uk - members directory for the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland rics.org - members directory for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Child Care UK childcare.co.uk - the easy way to locate those who offer childcare services greataupair.com - searchable employment site for Child Care, Au Pair's & Nanny's
Ireland childminding.ie - registered childminder directory for Ireland
Educational & Teachers UK ratemyteachers.com - a site where people can rate teachers at UK schools, not brilliant but does give you some information about schools and teachers ratemyprofessors.com - a site where people can rate professors at university's around the world, including the UK, very much like rate my teacher gov.uk - searchable database for forthcoming professional conduct panel hearings and meetings held by the Teaching Regulation Agency gov.uk - searchable database of hearing outcomes of the professional conduct panel hearings held by the Teaching Regulation Agency and the National College for Teaching and Leadership ukrlp.co.uk - UK register of learning providers tutorhunt.com - searchable database of over 100,000 qualified tutors across the UK Scotland gtcs.org.uk - the General Teaching Council for Scotland is the professional body for teaching in Scotland and they have an online database to allow checks on a teacher's qualifications and disciplinary history Wales myewc.wales - the Education Workforce Council was previously the General Teaching Council for Wales, the professional body for teaching in Wales and this is their online database to allow checks that a teacher is registered myewc.wales - the Education Workforce Council was previously the General Teaching Council for Wales, the professional body for teaching in Wales and this is their Live Disciplinary Orders and Restrictions on Employment database Northern Ireland gtcni.org.uk - the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland is the professional body for teaching in Northern Ireland and they accept email requests to check on a teacher's qualifications and disciplinary history
Ireland teachingcouncil.ie - the Teaching Council for Ireland is the professional body for teaching in Ireland and they have an online database to allow checks on a teacher's qualifications and current school www.ratemyteachers.com - a site where people can rate teachers at Irish schools, not brilliant but does give you some information about schools and teachers
Engineers iaea-online.org - searchable UK & Irish database for the Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors
Gangmasters gla.gov.uk - the searchable register of the UK Gangmasters Licensing Authority
Immigration gov.uk - the searchable register of the UK regulated immigration advisers
Journalists responsesource.com - database of freelance journalists thebppa.com - top right is a search box to find members of the British Press Photographers' Association
Legal lawsociety.org.uk - the members' directory of the Law Society, the representative body for solicitors in England & Wales sra.org.uk - check a solicitor's disciplinary record via the Solicitors Regulation Authority solicitorstribunal.org.uk - details of solicitor's disciplinary hearings held by the SRA lawscot.org.uk - Law Society of Scotland database of qualified solicitors lawsoc-ni.org - Law Society of Northern Ireland database of qualified solicitors directaccessportal.co.uk - details of those registered with the Bar Council citma.org.uk - membership directory of the Institute of Trademark Attorneys cilexgroup.org.uk - database to locate details of all Chartered Legal Executive lawyers (practising & retired) in England & Wales
Medical UK gmc-uk.org - General Medical Council, where you can find a range of details about registered Doctors in the UK gdc-uk.org - General Dental Council, with a searchable database for members optical.org - General Optical Council, with a searchable database for members nmc-uk.org - Nursing & Midwifery Council, with a searchable database for members hcpc-uk.org - the Health & Care Professions Council, database of other qualified people working in medical services bps.org.uk - the Directory of Chartered Psychologists, searchable via location and surname pharmacyregulation.org - the General Pharmaceutical Council have taken over from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, with a searchable database for members mpts-uk.org - searchable hearings and decisions database of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service mpts-uk.org - searchable interim orders database of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service
Ireland medicalcouncil.ie - the register of registered doctors with the Medical Council in Ireland dentist.ie - the register of registered dentists with the Irish Dental Association nmbi.ie - searchable database of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland irelandnursing.com - searchable database of over 125,000 nurses licensed in Ireland coru.ie - searchable database for Health and Social Care Professionals in Ireland
International ahpra.gov.au - searchable register for Australian health practitioners ma-assn.org - searchable register for doctors details in the USA docinfo.org - searchable register for doctors details in the USA (needs a USA IP Address) mmc.gov.my - searchable register for doctors details registered with the Malaysian Medical Council nmc.org.in - search the Indian Medical Registry for doctors details
Music Related nadj.org.uk - searchable database of the National Association of Disc Jockeys musicteachers.co.uk - searchable database of music teachers bmi.com - searchable databases for, song, songwriters & singers ascap.com - searchable databases for songwriters & singers sesac.com - searchable databases for songwriters & singers setlist.fm - searchable databases via artist or venue to tour & set details
Police college.police.uk - the Police Barred List is a searchable database of all officers, special constables and staff members who have been dismissed from the UK policing through the Police Conduct and Performance Regulations
Security Staff UK gov.uk - the Security Industry Authority license the UK security industry, including; doormen, security guards, wheel clampers and investigators
Ireland psa-gov.ie - the Private Security Authority license the Irish security & private investigation industry
Sexual Services bgafd.co.uk - the British Girls Adult Film Database, much like IMDB but for the over 18's only, so if you are at work and have your web use monitored you better have a good excuse for looking at this site punternet.com - reviews & listings for adult service providers in the UK, unbelievable but true adultwork.com - advertises people involved in the sex industry throughout the UK uglymugs.org - National Ugly Mugs is a campaign to end violence against sex workers and this site allows them to share reports about violent or suspicious clients
Social Care socialworkengland.org.uk - the register of Social Work England sssc.uk.com - the register of Social Care Workers in Scotland scwonline.wales - the Care Council for Wales Register of Social Care Workers niscc.org - the register of Social Care Workers in Northern Ireland
Boxing & Martial Arts boxrec.com - searchable database for boxers from around the world bbbofc.com - the site for the British Boxing Board of Control, with a database of boxers & referees etc mixedmartialarts.com - the official international database of Mixed Martial Arts dojos.co.uk - register of Martial Arts Schools & Dojo's in the UK
Cricket cricketarchive.com - search for details of cricket teams & players
Gymnastics british-gymnastics.org - database of those banned or expelled from British Gymnastics
Horse Racing & Show Jumping britisheventing.com - searchable database of people & horses involved in British Eventing britishhorseracing.com - website of the British Horseracing Authority, with details of horses, trainers & jockeys etc bhs.org.uk - the British Horse Society register of trainers & grooms
Others on3.com - searchable database of American footballers driverdb.com - searchable database of Motor Racing Drivers
Tradesmen gassaferegister.co.uk - if you know if someone works as a gas engineer, you can obtain a copy of their photo from their licence electricalcompetentperson.co.uk - search the database of Registered Electrical Competent Person's trustmark.org.uk - tradesmen operating to Government endorsed standards, searchable by post code & trade checkatrade.com - search for various tradesmen in an area, which often supplies photographs of their work napit.org.uk - has a member search facility to find registered NAPIT trades people eca.co.uk - membership search for the Electrical Contractors' Association competentperson.co.uk - check the Competent Person Scheme database to see if a tradesman has registered that their work complies with building regulations
Transport Related tfl.gov.uk - search for licensed London private hire drivers by name gov.uk - DVLA site allowing you to check your driving licence details, by supplying your driving licence number, national insurance number and post code direct.gov.uk - approved driving instructors in the UK, searchable by postcode nidirect.gov.uk - links to various things linked to the Driver & Vehicle Agency of Northern Ireland imiregister.org.uk - the Institute of the Motor Industry, has a database of skilled, knowledgeable & competent automotive professionals
Vets rcvs.org.uk - the RCVS is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons (vets) in the UK and you can check the register of vets, nurses and practices