9 - Join a Professional Assoc 81-90

8/8/2019 9 - Join a Professional Assoc 81-90

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1. The secret job resource: professional organizations.

You may not know this, but the career feld you’re in, or planning to work in in

the uture, probably has at least one proessional organization connected to it.

Proessional organizations provide a wealth o inormation and opportunities

to learn more about your feld, make connections with people in the feld, learn

the latest trends and issues, and even fnd out about hidden job opportunities.

Employers oten look avorably upon individuals who participate with proessional

organizations because it shows you’re committed to your career.

Proessional organizations provide a long-term beneft o keeping you educated

and up-to-date in your feld. By joining and participating in a proessional

organization, you will automatically increase your visibility in the market, develop

new relationships and contacts, enhance your résumé and develop new skills.

You can also give back by volunteering to serve in a variety o capacities, again

adding to your résumé and uture employment opportunities.

Locate the proessional organization which best fts your career feldand join it. Check with the sta at your career center or use the National

Trade and Proessional Associations directory ound at almost every

library to get some ideas. Try searching on the web as well, using your

career feld and “proessional association” as keywords. Find out i your

school has a student chapter.

Jo a Professional Association



2. Find a professional organization.

There are literally thousands o proessional organizations. Each organization

will vary in the constituents it serves, its mission, and the services it provides to

its members so you will need to do some online research to determine which

organization has the most to oer you.

These resources will help you fnd ones that are most related to your interests:

n Associations on the Net lists a variety o organizations and categorizes them

by subject area. They oer links directly to the organization’s site.

http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=7

n

The ASAE Gateway to Associations Directory is updated regularly and willhelp you locate associations related to your feld:

http://www.asaecenter.org/Directories/AssociationSearch.cfm

n The WEDDLE’s Association Directory also provides links to several thousand

associations:

http://www.weddles.com/associations/

n In addition, you can fnd the Gale Encyclopedia of Associations at your local

or college library.

Once you’ve located an organization that fts your career feld, read

through its website to become amiliar with its oerings.




3. How to make the most of a professional conference.

One o the biggest benefts o a proessional organization is the conerences and

meetings they sponsor—both regional and national. Conerences provide a great

opportunity to meet new people in your feld and get into inormal conversations

that might someday lead to a job or other career advancement.

Here are some tips or attending your frst conerence:

n I you can, arrange to stay at the hotel where the conerence is happening—

that will ensure you have better chance o meeting as many people as possible.

n Take the time to review the convention or conerence program beore it starts.

n Identiy the programs you want to attend and take note o which speakersyou’d like to hear.

n Arrive early to the conerence and use the meals and breaks to meet new people.

n Bring your business cards and/or résumé in case you run into anyone who is

hiring or who might be able to oer you some job search assistance.

n Be sure to ollow-up with emails and thank-you’s to the people you met at the

conerence.

Check out the upcoming conerences or group meetings o your

proessional association. See i they have reduced student rates.

Register, and get ready to attend and make the most o it!




4. How to get the most from a professional organization.

I all you do is pay your dues, you won’t get much rom the organization. Instead,

think o this group as your career-builder—because it is. Start by reviewing what they

have to oer: publications, conerences and meetings, networking opportunities, job

listings, product discounts, etc. Decide where and how you’d like to ft in. What talents

or strengths do you have to oer the group? What skills, experience, or knowledge

would you like to gain? What activities would help you?

Contributing articles o interest or a newsletter, speaking on a topic o interest,

maintaining a website, participating on a board o directors or on committees or special

projects, volunteering to assist with meeting coordination or undraising are all ways o

becoming more involved that can produce substantial personal rewards and satisaction.

For the small investment o a ew additional hours each month, it is possible to

maintain a network o contacts you would not ordinarily have access to, fnd support

should your employment (or other) circumstances change, build on your existing

skills, learn new skills, get connected with new people and become visible in your

proession and community. Aren’t you worth it?

Read through your organization’s website and select one area or urther

investigation.

Follow up by contacting the individual who handles that area.

Not sure who that is? Write the head o the organization and ask them to

orward your email to the right person.




5. Writing opportunities in professional organizations.

Most proessional organizations oer varied opportunities to improve your writing

skills. They publish trade journals, newsletters, magazines, and brochures, not to

mention a website. Writing or their publications and website can greatly increase

your visibility in the proessional community, provide you with a product to show

potential employers, and demonstrate your strong writing skills.

You won’t likely be paid or the opportunity, but an article online will be located by

any employer doing a Google search o your name, present you in a positive light

and maybe even launch your career.

Also, an article which requires you to do some research can give you the perectexcuse or contacting authors o books in your feld, experts in the feld etc.

I you’d like to write an article, contact the editor o the publication.

Write down 5 ideas you could develop into articles. Be creative.

n

You could interview a local leader in your feld.n You could review the latest books in your feld.

n Write about the fve concerns you hear rom your ellow students about

the proession and how they can overcome them.

n Maybe you could write an advice column or students getting ready to

enter the feld.




6. Develop your speaking skills in a professional organization.

I you’re trying to build up your communication and public speaking skills,

proessional organizations can oer lots o opportunities. You can start small and

just oer comments at other people’s presentations, or oer to lead a discussion at

a meeting.

Take a look at the list o speakers at an upcoming conerence you plan to attend.

Consider contacting one or two speakers who are presenting on topics o interest

to you and oer to assist them in any way. You can help them with their handouts

on the day o the presentation or oer to do some research or them ahead o time,

Think about the topic ahead o time, and prepare a question or a comment you can

oer during the presentation’s Q&A session aterward.

When you’re ready, consider delivering a presentation at a local meeting—and

when you’re ready or the big time-- consider proposing a presentation at the next

conerence. Presenting at conerences is a great way to boost your visibility both

within the organization and with potential employers.

The next time your organization announces an upcoming conerence,

look or the “call or presentations” or “call or papers.” Read the proposal

guidelines and consider submitting a proposal or a program you could do.




7. Networking opportunities through professional

organizations.

Proessional organizations host a variety o meetings, conerences, symposiums,

programs, workshops, and other organized group activities.

While all o these activities can provide a great base or learning and networking,

some organizations even host specifc networking events or their members. These

gatherings provide a great way to meet inormally with other members and get

to know their interests and backgrounds-- and because people are away rom the

oce they are usually relaxed and eager to communicate with each other.

One evening o networking at a proessional event can connect you with morepeople in your proession than months o job hunting. And you never know where

that new relationship might lead.

As soon as you join a proessional organization, look or an opportunity

to attend a local, regional, or national event where you can network andmeet new members. Sign up or one today.




8. Building your organizational and communication

skills through professional organizations.

Proessional organizations provide a wealth o opportunities to develop your

organizational and communication skills. Because they represent a broad range

o individuals in any given career feld, proessional organizations oer you the

opportunity to work with people rom diverse cultures, ages, and backgrounds.

You will develop your team management skills as well by working on a variety o

activities or programs within your organization.

Read through the website or materials rom your proessional

organization. Decide on one committee, program, or activity that

interests you. Contact the person in charge and see i they could use

your assistance.




9. Become a leader in a professional organization.

Proessional organizations are a great place to develop and practice your

leadership skill—a valuable addition to your résumé.

You can oer to lead a committee, a project, a discussion group or any number o

activities.

Becoming a leader in this way will help you develop and demonstrate your team-

playing skills, your competency, and your take-action style, and you will be seen as

someone who is proessional, caring and trusted. Following through on your promises

to the organization is key: real leaders can be trusted and their word is their bond.

You might not have time to lead a committee or deal with a long-term project, but

you might have time to work on one activity that will only take one day.

Being a good leader requires that you also know how to ollow—i you can’t take a

leadership role yet, select a committee or project topic that interests you and oer

to help. You can work as your way into a leadership role.

Read through the website or materials or your proessional organization.

Identiy where you could take a leadership role based on your time and

skills. Contact someone at the organization who could help you get

started.



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10. Find a mentor through a professional organization.

Do you have some career ideas and goals, but not sure how to carry them out?

Would you like to get advice or assistance rom someone who’s in the career feld

you’re interested in?

Consider fnding a mentor.

n Start by thinking about what you’d like rom your mentor and how oten you

want to connect with them.

n Contact your proessional organization and see i they have an established

mentoring program—some will match you up with a mentor.

n Even i they don’t, go to a ew o the organization’s events and i you meet

someone you enjoy talking to, and who has some experience in your feld o

interest, consider asking them i they’d be willing to mentor you.

Ask someone to mentor you.

n Explain why you’re seeking their help, and why you think they are agreat person to help you.

n I they turn you down, thank them anyway, and ask i they have a

recommendation o someone else who might be able to help you.

9 - Join a Professional Assoc 81-90

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