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Ann Oliveri recently posted on financial incentives to pursuing an association career. Let's talk about how to nurture that career once you've begun. We know there is healthy talent-sharing activity in the association industry. As a vendor, I have watched individuals move through several associations, sometimes as lateral moves into larger organizations and other times to take on executive posts at smaller ones. I even saw a department head transition to another association and bring an entire team along.

How do you ensure that you're staying in touch with the valuable contacts you've developed along the way, so that you're top of mind when an opportunity arises? With social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, it's never been easier.

Facebook now has around 40 million users, with another million signing up each week. Photos, messages and "pokes" are just the basic ways of reaching out to your friends and contacts. With the introduction of third-party applications, there is an explosion of widgets you can use to make an impression in your virtual community.

LinkedIn is a more formal way of maintaining a roster of contacts, requesting recommendations and reaching out to contacts of your contacts. The site is working to find additional ways to interact with its network, in order to fend off the encroachment of Facebook onto its turf.

In the association world, where "interactive member directory" usually means that it's searchable rather than a mere list, applying social networking features to an organization's Web site is a way to empower members to connect and share ideas above and beyond hosted events.

I read an interesting article in this month’s Harvard Business Review entitled “Extreme Jobs: The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Work Week.” It struck a particular chord with me because I average 55 hours per week and when I travel a lot, which happens frequently, it can average nearly 70 hours per week.

As I read the article I couldn’t help but think of all that we are told about the up and coming generations – Gen X and Gen Y. I have both read and been told that they want more life balance, more time to do what they enjoy, etc. But what happened to enjoying work? I get a lot of joy and satisfaction from the work that I do, and while my wife and three children might disagree with me, I do my level-best to balance the significant responsibilities that I have at home (my wife will tell you that we live in an equal opportunity household!) with those I have at the office.

Like you, I am often asked by younger professionals how to get ahead in association management. At the end of the day, in my mind, good or bad, right or wrong, you must work hard (and smart) if you want to excel in this or any other profession. And working hard often translates in to working long hours – longer hours than one might really want to work – in order to get ahead. I had a young colleague in my office not long ago who badly wants to climb the association management latter but he expressed wanting to do so without working more than 7.5 hours daily. That just doesn’t compute for me – and that’s what I told this colleague. I told him work smart and work hard, do the job you’re doing now AND the one that you want to do next. Smile. Be gracious and courteous to all. Dress better than the going “business casual” environments dictate these days. Be honest and genuine. Be ethical and moral. And if you can do all of this in 7.5 hours per day, more power to you! I never figured out how!

Something to think about.