The Role of Professional Associations in Career Advancement

This article was originally written by Andrea Moran and was published on The Washington Post.

Whether you’re just getting started in the job market or you’re simply looking to reinvigorate the career you already have, joining a professional association can play an important role in helping shape the kind of future you want. While joining one is certainly not a necessity when it comes to being successful, you may find it’s a valuable resource that makes the climb up the ladder just a little bit easier.

First of all, a professional association is simply an organization of people who all work within the same industry (think healthcare, teaching, etc.). Gathering a group of specialists in one place allows everyone to share things like experiences, insights, tips, and news in order to help and support others in the group. Here are just a few ways an institution such as this can play a role in your professional development.

It looks good on your resume

Joining a professional association has plenty of other benefits beyond looking good on paper—this is simply one of them. If potential employers or recruiters see you’re a member, they’ll automatically assume you’re a go-getter. It gives the impression that you’re continually looking to improve yourself as an employee, and you have a high work ethic—traits that are extremely appealing to those in charge of hiring.

Network expansion

By now you’ve probably realized that a lot of times, it’s not what you know but who you know. And professional associations automatically put you in touch with an impressive number of people (who also happen to know people, who know people, etc.).

Most associations hold regular events specifically for networking—but even if yours doesn’t, the people you meet there are sure to become an important part of your network, if only because you all work within the same industry

By Alice Song
Alice Song Career Counselor