The same scenario may be in play for those workers who have fallen behind the times, not keeping their skills fresh in a fast-moving world.

Therefore, it is quite important to keep current with trends and skills pertaining to your profession. Once way of doing this is to join one or more of the professional associations which support your particular line of work and/or your business sector.

To give an example, in my position as a project manager, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is recognized as the predominant association for the practice, and provides for local chapter meetings, training and professional development opportunities, conferences, and certifications.

A simple web search may help you to find associations which represent your field, as illustrated above. You can then leverage the value of professional associations to take advantage of the following possible opportunities:

1. Networking
   • Attending chapter meetings, annual conferences, training or study groups will provide significant chances to meet others in your field of interest to network with
2. Certification
   • Professional certifications, such as PMI’s Project Managment Professional (PMP) designation, lend additional credibility to your candidacy by showing that you took the initiative to become certified.
   • Many certifications also require a specific minimum number of continuing education hours as well.  These provide added incentive to practice networking, and perhaps to develop new friendships in your chosen field.
3. Resume Enhancement
   • If you begin study for a recognized certification, and you indicate this on your resume, this can add value, as many automated resume scanning software will most likely key in on the term.  Just be sure to indicate that the cert is ‘In Progress’ or ‘Expected’ so as not to mislead.
   • Many certifications also require a specific minimum number of continuing education hours as well.  These provide added incentive to practice networking, and perhaps to develop new friendships in your chosen field.
4. Gravitas
   • Many workers consider their employment as just showing up, performing simply what is specified, and collecting a paycheck.  (That’s not you, right?)
   • By joining a professional association, you demonstrate that you have a greater commitment to your craft, in that you are interested in developing your expertise, perhaps by attending many of the events listed in the first bullet (above).
5. Volunteerism
   • Professional associations are mostly staffed by volunteers, who may be looking for additional help to ease their burden.
   • A great way to meet new people in your field would be to volunteer to help the membership committee, maybe even as a greeter at the sign-in table at local chapter meetings.
6. Sharing your expertise
   • As an offshoot of volunteering, you may consider presenting at a local meeting or writing an article for the chapter’s newsletter or website.
   • This also will blend well with resume enhancement, as you could then list your speaking or writing experience beneath your entry for the professional association, or even under a separate section titled ‘Additional Experience’ or ‘Additional Qualifications’.

Search the web for associations which cover your field or sector. Select a nearby chapter, and commit to attend an upcoming meeting.  Agree to make at least one new contact there.

In order to inspire other readers with your action(s), please be sure to add a comment, celebrating your successes.

When faced with these frustrating times, it might be better to reflect on a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said “Life is a journey, not a destination.” Yes, we are anxious to get to our destination, and become gainfully re-employed. This is expected in our new and now culture. But, we may miss some valuable opportunities if we ignore the journey. Thinking back, my recent job search journey was peppered with wonderful roadside attractions.

Two quick examples of the value in the journey come to mind. One stop along the way resulted in a new friendship, simply because I offered to help a fellow job searcher with the design of her personal business cards. We remain close friends today, continuing to help each other in new ways.

A second opportunity arose when someone who offered to help me with my search, also sought some tech know-how, to help get the word out about an event he was hosting. The technical assistance later expanded to include pitching in to write creative copy — not my strong suit, to be sure. Still, this willingness to help where help is needed may have been the spark which lit the fire to write this blog.  You never know?

In a follow-up post, I’ll detail some additional examples of people who successfully leveraged the journey of the job search for personal and professional development. For now, though, let me leave you with this challenge.

Think about others in the job search whom could benefit from your skills, and your help.  Helping those in need may bring unexpected benefits to you and your job search as well. 

Please be sure to loop back and let us know how you helped, and what resulted, by using the comment area below.