Boost Your Career By Aligning Yourself With a Professional Organization
In order to remain efficient in your line of work, you have to be updated of all the current industry trends. At times, you may need help for new work tasks given to you that you are unfamiliar with. In these scenarios, joining a professional networking organization will help you because they are filled with successful business leaders. They can help you strengthen your network with industry professionals, aid in finding you a mentor, offer advice on achieving your goals, assist with career advancement, or simply provide an avenue to make new friends. Look around your community and there will surely be a plethora of associations that can help with your personal and professional development while providing great networking opportunities. Here are some reasons why you should align yourself with these organizations:
Help Expand Your Knowledge
Professional organizations will help broaden your knowledge base, which will help you stay informed about the market trends, helping you in the long-run to stay ahead of the competition. The professional organization sometimes offers courses, seminars, lectures, and conferences to help their members stay abreast in current industry innovations, trends, and researches.
To illustrate, the National Real Estate Investors Association offer educational resources and materials on real estate and market-related topics. They often invite guest speakers that give inspirational talks for their meetings so that the members will be inspired and will learn from these successful guests. Some local REIA chapters offer formalized training for real estate professionals. Education is important for the National REAI so they even launched online training programs.
Take Charge of Your Career
They provide opportunities to help you take charge of your career by providing career resources. Often, associations have job boards and career opportunity listings that are only available to their members. This is a perfect method for you to see targeted job postings that fit your skill-set. Moreover, looking at listings in your association means the jobs are in line with your area of interest.
Improve your Network
No man is an island and it is critical to make connections. Joining an organization will give you local, nationwide, and even global connections. To illustrate, the Zonta Woman’s Club has local chapters, a countrywide chapter, and international affiliation amongst all its members around the globe. These women meet regularly to discuss their affairs and plan their socio-civic activities. This Zonta Club invites various women from different professions, so if you are a real estate agent looking to make friends with lenders, bank managers, accountants, and home inspectors, this is the perfect venue to make that connection.
Give Back to the Community
There are many associations that plan socially aware initiatives in order to give back to their respective communities. If you want an avenue to be able to help others, joining an organization with this thrust will satisfy this need. It can be doing food drives for the local soup kitchen, offering mentoring advice for domestic abused women, or simply raising funds for charity. For instance, the Rotary International Club brings together business and professional leaders that provide humanitarian service. There are many projects out there conducted by various organizations which you will certainly find interesting and fulfilling.
Help You Stay Inspired
Being around the company of successful people will help you stay inspired and motivated to reach the same great heights of the people surrounding you. In the Real Estate Investors Association alone, you will meet many industry leaders who have been practicing the profession for decades. Being around them will be an educational experience that will teach you ways to propel your own career forward.
Build a Better Resume
Many professional organizations often have career resources that will teach you how to build a good resume. They even give handy tips on how to write that cover letter. On top of that, putting down your affiliation with an organization or membership with an association will make your resume look more professional and impressive. This information shows your future employers that you are hardworking and dedicated to going the extra mile. You have done your best efforts to stay connected within your chosen profession.
Chance to Be a MentorLast, but definitely not the least, being in an organization offers you the chance to play a mentor to a much younger crowd. Being in a career is not just about financial gain. Having a sense of purpose other than making money is more fulfilling. You can give back and have a turn to offer good advice to others if you are a part of a professional networking organization.
