Career Networking With Professional Associations

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Professional associations and clubs can provide great career networking opportunities. Learn how to find unadvertised jobs through professional associations.

In order to cut costs, you may be tempted to let your memberships to professional associations expire when you find yourself out of work, particularly if you think you are going to be out of work for an extended period of time.

It's wise, however, to explore the career networking opportunities provided by your professional association before you let your membership expire.

Benefits of Professional Association Memberships

Maintaining Professional Designations

Sometimes paying your dues to a professional association is required in order for you to claim certain professional designations.

If you hold a professional designation that is important to employers in your field, and/or if it would be difficult to requalify for the designation if you let it lapse by not renewing your membership in a professional association, then, as frustrating as it may be to write the check for your membership dues every year, you really must maintain your membership to maintain the professional designations that make you competitive in the job market.

Providing Career Networking Opportunities

Graphic image of group of job seekers talking and networking.

Some professional associations are wonderful and provide great opportunities for networking, professional development and staying up-to-date in your industry. Maintaining or starting a membership with these associations can help you to find unadvertised jobs and build an effective network.

Before you commit your hard earned money to professional association membership dues, take the time to research associations carefully.

Determine What Benefits You Will Receive in Exchange For Your Membership Fees

Some key benefits to look for are:

Ability to achieve professional designations that are necessary or desirable for those who work in your field
Access to networking opportunities such as seminars and workshops
Discounts on professional expenses that are relevant to your field
Access to continuing education opportunities which, in additional to building your skills, can also provide good networking opportunities
Access to publications that keep you informed about developments in your field and may give you insight about key employers in your field
Some professional associations provide job search support that is very specific to your industry

Will you gain access to professional conferences or regular meetings that will provide career networking opportunities?

Perhaps you'll receive discounted entry fees to conferences, seminars and other professional development opportunities. Attending conferences, seminars and meetings organized by your professional association is a great way to meet important business contacts.

Employers like to hire people they know, so finding job leads should be less about looking for ads in the newspaper or online and more about figuring out where to go to meet people in your field of work. Ask yourself, "Where do people who are involved in my industry go?" and then make sure you're there too.

Professional associations can sometimes give you access to those places.

How to Find Your Professional Association

The links below go to pages with lists of professional associations based in specific countries. The lists are not exhaustive, but they are a good place to start if you're looking for a professional association for your field of work.

If you do not find a professional association that is relevant to you on one of the lists below, use a search engine to search the name of your profession, the phrase "professional association" and your country.