Welcome to issue #3 of Pondering Leadership: A Deliberate and Thoughtful, Yet Informal Look at Leading and Managing. To my new subscribers: Thank you for joining us! We are on our way to building a wonderful community of leaders. Last week, I wrote about the hiring process. I will be writing more about all of those moving parts in future issues. Today, I’m writing about the value of professional associations. If you have a career, not a job, professional associations are an essential foundation to cultivate and grow your career.
What, exactly, is a professional association?
A professional association is formed around a group of people in a particular profession or career to set and maintain standards and processes, as well as provide continuing education and networking opportunities. Many professional associations employ lobbyists to advocate for laws that benefit the profession, its members or constituents.
Many professional associations have chapters defined by local geography and divisions or units set up by area of interest. While dues paying members fund most professional associations, the bulk of their revenue usually comes from an annual conference. Vendors pay for space in an exhibit hall to demonstrate their products and services, as well as sponsorships for sessions or events.
What do I get out of it?
There are numerous benefits and advantages of being involved in professional associations. Here are some of the main reasons why I got a lot out of joining and getting involved.
Continuing Education – Some professions require regular continuing education courses to maintain licensing or accreditation. Even if your profession does not have this requirement, it’s always good to keep up your skill set. Annual conferences are a great way to attend a variety of professional development sessions in a short period of time. Local chapters can offer regular meetings in your area to help you stay on top of trends and discover best practices.
Networking – Professional associations are the premier way to build and maintain your network. There is no other way to get in front of a volume of people who do what you do than at a conference. Conferences offer several ways to attend and participate. Opportunities range from large all conference keynote sessions to smaller networking breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Chapters and divisions often host gatherings at offsite locations. (I will write more about networking in a future issue.) Local chapter meetings also can provide great networking value. Meetings usually have unstructured networking time before and after the meal and guest speaker.
Gain skills you can’t get in your job – Do you want to move up in your organization? Are you looking to make a career move? Getting involved in a professional association is a great way to get experience that you are not getting in your current role. Do you want to get more involved with vendors or event planning? Are you interested in learning more about working with budgets or lobbying? Getting involved at the national or local level is a great way to expand your skill set. Even if you’re in a role on a volunteer basis, you’re still learning skills and expanding your knowledge.
Explore new places – When you attend a national or international conference for several days, there is a lot going on. There is no tired like conference tired! Try to fit into your schedule a break to get out of the convention center. Use this time to take a walk, get some fresh air and explore the area a bit. Locally, you may be able to check out new restaurants or other venues you’ve heard about. Often, local chapters or national conferences will have tours available to members only.
How do I find a professional association?
If you can think of a career, there is at least one professional association covering that career. Often, they find you. People who are active in their professional associations don’t miss a chance to talk up the value to a potential new member. Talk to your manager, other people you work with or someone you know in a similar field. Find out if they are involved in a professional association and get more information. You can search online, too.
Depending on your profession, membership dues can vary in price. Check with your HR department to see if your employer supports professional association memberships. If you are in charge of the budget, add a line item for professional development and budget for it. If your employer does not financially support professional association memberships, if you pay for it yourself, you may be able to write off the cost on your taxes. Membership rates are often determined by salary or job title. I tell students to join and check out as many professional associations as they can afford because the student rates are usually incredibly low.
Once you have found one or more professional associations, check out their website and see what they have to offer. Many associations make a lot of information available for free. Often, they will have a section for their goals and objectives. See if those line up with what you are looking for in your career. Take a look at the events calendar to see what you can find locally or online. There should be a section for their annual conference. Find the page for the most recent conference and review the list of sessions that were offered. Is this event one which you would like to attend next time?
If you want more information, find your local chapter listing. Check out the officers and board members. Reach out to one of them with your questions. If you are still not sure if joining a professional association is for you, I recommend taking a test drive. Join for one year and see what you think.
Finally…
I have gotten enormous value out of joining and volunteering in professional associations. I have built up a great network, as well as lifelong friends. I honed my leadership skills as the president of a local chapter. I sharpened my meeting/event planning skills by volunteering on a conference committee. Sometimes, my employers have funded my memberships and participation. When I did not have that financial backing, I still renewed and participated. I strongly believe in investing in my career when my employer will not.
Your turn…
Are you a member of a professional association? What value do they provide for you? Let me know in the Discussion.