Accessibility
Professional Associations give you access to experts within a field or industry to expand your knowledgebase. The sharing of information with experienced professionals can propel your ability to learn and identify opportunities. Asking other members how you can help them is “key” to establishing friendships and gathering information that makes you more valuable in the workforce, and can lead to potential opportunities.
Involvement in special interest groups positions you to mingle with recognized leaders in their field. The opportunity to meet with people that are currently working in an area that you are interested in is the best of all worlds. Creating new and lasting relationships will open more doors into business opportunities, jobs, and some fun along the way.
Credibility
Belonging to a group or association can provide you with a certain level of credibility. If you are applying for highly technical positions, being part of a high-tech group can help your cause. No matter what field you're in, membership in a group shows other professionals, or your potential employer, that you are well rounded, up to date on current trends in the industry, and able to connect with others.
Empower your Job Search
Marketing yourself has become necessary in today’s economic climate. Joining a networking group gives you the opportunity to form new relationships outside of your current sphere of friends. Some of these groups have formed to help people in transition. The loss of a job can sometimes be very devastating and causes many of us to turn inward and avoid relationships. This is exactly the time you want to get out of the house and meet, greet, and connect with people that are in the same circumstances. Helping others to strategize and to connect to other professionals can give you a great feeling of accomplishment and will perhaps reveal your next opportunity.
Selecting a group or association can be hard at first, but as you start your investigation, be cognizant of what you expect from the group or association and how you can help the membership. The selection process is certainly subjective in nature, and although there are many groups to pick from, you'll need time to research and talk to friends and colleagues about the pros and cons of each group.
Involvement in groups or associations can be challenging because of the time commitment and accountability to other members. Many groups are free, but others may have costs for membership. Some may require interviews to see if there would be a mutual fit between you and their association. Nevertheless, all of these considerations should be well thought out before diving into a group or association.
How do you find a group?
Good question. Taking a quote from the yellow pages; “Let your fingers do the walking..” Okay..typing. A cool website for your perusal is www.meetup.com. Meetup enables you to find a “meetup” group or start a new “meetup” group. You can search for new groups by topic, industry, and location. You'll receive emails as new meetup groups fitting your parameters are formed in your area.
You can also find groups and associations through LinkedIn (read more about LinkedIn). You can search the Group Directory or apply to join groups that your contacts already belong to. You also have the ability to create a new group. You can read up on group activities, purpose, and can see the members who are in your LinkedIn network.
Another quick way to find groups and associations is to search the major search engines. For example, by searching Google for "product marketing associations" I found the American Marketing Association, Product Management Association, Product Development and Management Association, and Association of International Product Marketing and Management.
For high-tech groups and associations, you can explore: www.gocee.com/valley/s1_trade.htm. This website gives you the opportunity to visit Hi-Tech Trade Associations, Societies, Standards Groups, and Consortia. No matter what your career field or interests are, you have the ability to find and join a group or association that fits your needs and requirements.
Whether it’s a professional group or a social group you're interested in, it's just a mouse-click away. If you're not already a member of a group or association, it's time to get involved, have fun, and start networking.
( 3 Votes, Average: 5.00 out of 5 )
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