What Associations do you belong to? If you were a Doctor, would you think it important to belong to a Medical Association? Of course. Yet many of us do not belong to any Association because we don't feel that we are "professional" enough. This is garbage! Whether you are a Doctor, Lawyer, Office Manager, Accountant or Janitor, there is an Association for you! You should belong.
Associations give us the up-to-date information and ongoing education that we cannot rely on our companies to give us. I learned a long time ago that if I wait for my company to give me the skills that they need, they will give me only those skills and nothing more. If they should decide that they don't need me anymore (which is what they did decide when I was 8 ½ months pregnant!), then I don't have any skills which are marketable. If I were to belong to an Association I would know what skills are in demand, and hopefully have additional skills and information that I gained from being part of this Association.
I personally belong to three different Associations. CAPS - the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers is for "experts who speak"… www.canadianspeakers.org. I also belong to the International Association of Administrative Professionals www.iaap-hq.org as well as the Association of Administrative Assistants www.aaa.ca. Because I speak and train mainly Administrative Professionals it is important that I am up-to-date with the industry.
IAAP & AAA are about $100 a year! How could I possibly use an excuse not to belong? If it is about money, even your membership is tax deductible, too. For a mere $100 I can keep myself current, I can network with others who face the same challenges I do, and I can keep myself motivated to continue on the right track.
Networking is another major benefit of belonging to Associations. I think that many of us will agree it is about "who you know" that makes a difference in many of our careers. If you are only networking with people within your office, it may get very competitive when a new job is posted. If you belong to an Association, members often share job postings within the Association. You may find yourself with some fabulous job opportunities you would have never known about otherwise.
Conferences and conventions are a further benefit. Trade journals, monthly newsletters, monthly meetings websites filled with information, access to magazines, mentor programs and discounted continuing education are many more.
It is not too late to find the Association for you. Go today and contact one near you!
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