Like Club Med, but with less sand
I have a friend who is just now starting out in her career, and is finding herself overwhelmed with the many possibilities of what "career" could mean. She has a marketing degree, feels like everyone else does too, and is struggling to find her "place". Something that feels like more than a job.
I, of course, am trying to move her toward the association world. She's having a hard time picturing herself in what she imagines to be a thankless job with a low salary - the jobs she's finding are largely administrative and don't pay very well.
I've explained to her that we're sort of a... club, almost. Not just ASAE - but the association sector as a whole. My Facebook is full of association professionals. My Twitter is, too. I go to happy hours and if I happen to meet someone who works for an association, it's like we have an immediate "bond" - even if that person works in IT and I work in membership. Where else can you find that? You don't see people at parties immediately connecting with those around them because "Oh, you work for a company? ME TOO!"
But with the association world, it's somehow different. Whether or not our organization is charitable, I'd imagine that most of us still feel like we do some semblance of "good". We're serving our members' personal or professional needs, usually providing some sort of education and growth opportunities. Our members WANT to come see us a few times a year at meetings. With the exception of dues time, they're usually interested in what we have to say. And that's because it's all of our jobs, no matter our title, to make our particular member base happy.
For that reason, we really do seem to connect with one another more than a lot of other career groups. I LIKE being a part of ASAE and the other association networking groups I belong to. I like spending my time with other similarly-minded professionals.
So, I'm trying to get my friend out to one of the networking happy hours, because I have no doubt that once she gets in, she'll be hooked. To me, this camaraderie is one of the major benefits of this profession. Her questions have me really analyzing and revisiting why it is I have stayed in the association world thus far.
What would you tell a friend who wants to know why they should look into this job market?
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Comments
I totally hear your friend on the starting at the ground level thing--been there, done that--more than once! When I graduated from college I'd never even heard the term "association" before; little did I know that the main jobs available to you if you live in the DC area are association jobs. I grumbled plenty about accepting an admin job--I hadn't gone to college to be a secretary. But I have to say that most of what I've learned about associations--and moving up the career ladder in them--I learned as an admin.
I love working in the association world for the exact reasons you list--the feeling of "doing good", the ability to connect with and serve members, the ability to build a cool career that allows you to have a decent work/life balance while earning a decent salary, and the association community. I love that in associations you can start as a data entry temp and end up COO (like my husband did). You can learn cool stuff about industries and professions you never knew anything about. You try a bunch of settings--small staff, large staff, AMS, vendor--and see which you like best. And,lastly, because I'm rambling now--tell her I know plenty of people who make a lot of money in the association world--association jobs definitely aren't always low paying.
Posted by: Maggie McGary | April 5, 2011 11:47 AM
Wow - I could have written this post! I feel the same way. Even though I've crossed over to the consultant side of the business, I feel that once you've become a part of the association world, you never really leave it.
No one understands what it is like to work for an association unless they've done it - the interesting mix of business, cheerleading, and psychology that comes into play when working with members is a special thing and understanding that team effort is huge!
Keep us posted on your friend's career development and keep writing these fabulous posts!
Posted by: KiKi L'Italien | April 5, 2011 1:08 PM
I love that in associations you can start as a data entry temp and end up COO
Exactly, Maggie! I love that, too. In fact, that's what my mom did; she's been at the same association for over 30 years. that's how I got interested in it. I also love that no matter WHO your members are, and how different they are from other associations' members, you always have that connection and ability to "talk shop". My husband's members are trucking companies; mine are laboratory product manufacturers and scientists. Yet we can talk about our work and give each other advice and insight.
Kiki: Thanks for the positive feedback! I love that you mixed cheerleading in there.. SO TRUE.
Posted by: Lauren Hefner | April 6, 2011 10:54 AM
I totally agree with the posting as well. I would tell someone that I LOVE what I do and not only do I enjoy networking with others in the association world, I love helping my members grow in an industry (construction) that I hadn't even thought of before. They are just down to earth great folks and I enjoy working with them.
I had my mother join me at my first ASAE Great Ideas conference one year (she lived near by) and she joined me for the first networking event and when we got back to the room she said "Wow, that was great." She said it was so fun to watch everyone connect and share with each other despite the fact that before sitting down together we hadn't known each other.
Posted by: Kimberley Gray | April 6, 2011 12:40 PM
Great description of the association world. And the "bond" is real!
Posted by: David M. Patt, CAE | April 6, 2011 1:24 PM