Building a professional career can be likened to a game of dominoes. Line up the necessary tools–your “tiles,” as it were–and soon they will touch off a chain of events to rewarding effect.
One crucial tile in the sequence is establishing and maintaining affiliations to professional associations in your field.
If this is an area you’ve glossed over or put on the back burner, you may be missing an opportunity to enjoy the benefits–some tangible, some not–that can contribute to your quest for success.
Trade associations are not new; organizations such as Kiwanis and the Lions Club were the first to provide a haven for men to fraternize. Female-oriented organizations gained currency in response to their exclusion, and now thrive in their own right.
Whether gender-specific or not, the good ones are organized, highly resourced and exist for the purpose of advocating for members.
Finding the association, however, is the easy part. It’s likely you have familiarity with those related to your field even if you haven’t taken the membership plunge.
If you’re exploring a new field of interest, a trip to the library or a quick online search will turn up directories ranging from the executive tailored to the non-profit, from the general to the most specialized.
But committing to one or more group is what reaps the rewards. In plain terms this means shelling out membership fees while your professional goals and paying the rent jockey for position.
Being an active member is the other.
Miriam Krasno, a Chicago-area career coach and life planner, stresses that once you join up you must network.
“Professional associations are designed for you to put yourself out there,” she said.
“If I’m shy, it’s a way to feel connected. If I go to an luncheon or a meeting given by my association, I’m going to feel more comfortable because I have a role.”
As for the money concerns, Krasno recommends you shop around for the best value.
Because one of their roles is to attract membership, she says, “associations are often happy to welcome you to your first event for free. If I have a client who’s considering a career change, I tell them to go to the trade association first.”
Krasno suggests leaving no stone unturned. “Go to their Web site, look at their publications. They are a great place to start.”
Depending on your goals, you’ll want to focus your research. For those looking to find a job, access to job banks is a tangible you’ll value.
Some groups offer free access to resume posting, often identified with the prestige of the group’s logo. These groups often generate highly sophisticated publications and newsletters as part of the package. Not only do they report on new trends but they also offer additional resources and to how to gain access to them.
For the self-employed the pot is further sweetened through tax-deductible benefits like group liability insurance, reduced costs for business services and access to templates such as contracts for which you might otherwise need the costly services of an attorney.
Robin Vivona, career manager and counselor at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, believes it’s never too early to become involved.
“We even encourage students who aren’t yet in the workforce to participate in trade groups,” she said.
“Don’t hesitate to volunteer or take advantage of internship opportunities. You’ll get to rub shoulders with seasoned professionals so that by the time you graduate you have contacts.”
“The best thing I could have done was accept the nomination for president for the Chicago chapter of American Institute of Graphic Artists,” said Nancy Essex, who held the post from 1994-97.
Essex’s career trajectory within the graphics artist organization affirms associations’ value.
“I volunteered to co-chair an event that was so well-received that my name was passed around,” she said.
“I used my design skills and organizational ability to pull together that event. But it also helped me to bring out those skills I was trying to develop.”
A partner of Essex Two design firm, she was elected to a couple of other positions before her presidency and is currently on association’sadvisory board.
“I am now part of an organization that has stature and I am recognized in the community in a way that would have been difficult to achieve on my own,” she said.
While some professional associations offer nuts-and-bolts support, others lend stature through the name recognition of their founders and event attendees.
Bart Crosby, principal of Crosby Associates, a Chicago-based graphic design firm, fits the latter description on both counts.
When asked why he spearheaded the Chicago chapter he said, “You need to have a touchstone for your profession, a way to go back and to evaluate your work.”
In an effort to define and formalize the mission of associations, Crosby, currently on the association’s national executive committee, identified five attributes which he believes all associations provide to varying degrees: information, validation. inspiration, communication; and representation.
As to representation, the American Institute of Graphic Artists-Chicago is currently working with the Chicago Board of Elections to design a more user-friendly ballot in time for the next election.
Which brings us to another benefit of membership: the opportunity to give back. To that end, make sure you assemble your dominoes in a circular fashion.
