Getting the Most out of a Professional Society

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Gettin the Most out of a Professional Society

Career paths are changing. Thirty years ago the concept "Career Management" didn't even exist. One joined a company at entry level, followed a managerial or technical ladder and hoped to retire in 30 or 40 years with a comfortable pension. I know this for a fact, because I entered General Motors Institute 29 years ago, and most of my classmates expected this very scenario. I didn't, but only because I already planned to leave General Motors after a given period, and I did. Today's college graduates entering the pprofessional work force, and even those of us currently employed, face a much less stable environment. I'll use myself as an example.

Over the last 29 years I have worked for six different companies, seven if you count my own short- lived consulting business. Most of the moves were deliberate; only one was the result of a layoff beyond my control. I acquired valuabl skills and operations knowledge in each position, and gained experience in industrial engineering, information systems, training, production and inventory control, organizational development, small business management, retail and industrial customer service, and continuous improvement techniques.

There are two points to all of this: 1) I believe this kind of diversity is more typical of today's career path, and 2) active membership in a professional society has been an asset in my own career management. Networking and education, working as a chapter officer and presenting original material at a professional seminar all honed my marketable skills, opened doors in my last two positions and continues today to open more doors. I have achieved professional certification and plan on teaching certification courses in the future.

When today's professionals take responsibility for their own career management, I can't imagine not relying on the benefits of membership in a professional society. Some of those benefits may be reaped through 'passive' membership, such as periodicals and certification. (Yes, I consider certification to be a 'passive' benefit, since it does not require speaking up.) It is the networking, idea generation, public communication and leadership aspects of close contact with other professionals that make the difference.

The first of Stephen Covey's Seven Habits is "Be Proactive." Using a professional society in proactive career management has one of the biggest returns on investment of any strategy. Personal proactive career management relies heavily upon acquiring skills in demand. Leadership opportunities, writing and speaking, networking, organizational and planning skills, increased visibility - al of these benefits and more are derived from active membership in a professional society. Let's look at what's involved in using a professional society to the greatest benefit, starting with the lowest level of commitment and working our way up.

Joining - Asking one's company managementto reimburse membership fees for a professional society indicates interest in furthering technical knowledge and business skills. Of course, if this is the last active step taken, they'll know better. From personal experience, I can relate that membership in a professional society had a significant (positive) impact on my last two career moves.
Regular meeting attendance - New ideas and successful applications of new methodsare the most interesting topics for meetings, but sometimes reviewing the basics is helpful. Let the chapter officers know what you want to see. They'll appreciate it, believe me!
Networking - All too often dismissed as a buzzword, networking has a serious place in proactive career management. Many career moves made these days have had groundwork in networking. Seeing someone on a professional basis outside of the office goes a long way toward getting a foot in the door if the opportunity arises later.
Becoming an officer - This begins to address leadership issues that will always be useful in the business world. Just plain getting things done through and with other people (and sometimes in spite of) is a valuable experience. As an example, begin as chapter membership officer, move to programs and education leadership positions, then to becoming vice president and president. If you find you really enjoy the work, regional and national representation is always a possibility. Professional societies are always looking for a few good people.
Becoming certified - Far from just looking good on a resume (which it does), certification from a recognized society tells current/potential employers two things: that the professional had the drive and determination to withstand the usually rigorous study and testing required, and that there is a documented body of knowledge of which he or she has a demonstrated command.
Writing and speaking - Original thinking on ideas or methods, or a new twist on old practices, is in high demand from professional journals. Presenting original material at seminars is a marvelous opportunity for networking, honing speaking and presentation skills, and high visibility. Again using myself as an example, I've been published in trade journals with material that began as a seminar presentation.
Teaching - It's almost impossible to list all of the benefits gained from teaching. Presentation and speaking skills, reinforcement of personal knowledge of the subject, investment in the future by ensuring new professional education - these are just a few of the many paybacks received from teaching classes.
I'm still successfully managing my career, and I'm still using professional societies every step of the way. Try taking your professional society to the limit, and see what it can do!

Published July 1998 in APICS - The Performance Advantage

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