24- Join a trade group today to advance your career
As a student or an entry-level engineer, one of the best ways to advance your career is join a professional organization specific to your industry. This type of group is often referred to as a trade group, and joining one can help you learn from, and connect with, like-minded professionals to help you grow your career. The benefits of joining such a group include the opportunity to take advantage of the group’s rich history in your industry, opportunities for learning; and connecting with others in your specific industry.
Which group should you join? Many highly respected trade groups have been in existence many years-before you even thought of joining them. For example, one of the trade groups I am involved in, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) was created in 1852. They have been creating learning material and programs and providing a place for engineers to learn collaboratively for over 150 years. You should strive to find groups like this where new information produced is collaborative and continues to define the state of the practice. Also, joining a group where historic materials are also made available, will allow you to learn about the rich history of your profession.
Are you ready to join a trade group? Start asking yourself what you want to get out of the endeavor. Is there a specific set of skills you’d like to learn, or type of person you’d like to associate yourself with? For example, I’ve worked in the largely male-dominated industry of construction for the past 10 years. One of the areas in which my employer lacked was female leadership and mentoring. Therefore, when evaluating which group I wanted to join, one of the top priorities was to be part of a group that not only included women, but where they served in leadership roles and were available to mentor junior members. After a few meetings, I joined CREW Network, a group where successful women in the commercial real estate industry share leadership and professional development skills, while providing education programs aimed at staying current in the industry. If there is something missing in your career development, you need to identify it and then go out and find it. Trade groups are an excellent way to fill in the gaps.
Once you know what you are looking for, ask your manager which groups the company belongs to, and your colleagues which groups they belong to individually. Next, spend time probing your colleagues on why they joined certain groups, what benefits they have realized from belonging to them, and what recommendations they have for you. Using this list as a starting point, do some internet research. Review the group’s website and develop a list of pro’s and con’s. For example, is their mission statement is consistent with what you want to get out of your participation in the group. Also, look up several of their recent and upcoming publications and events. Can you see yourself attending these events? Are they at times that work for your schedule, or would attending events require you to miss work or other important commitments? Do the topics look interesting and educational? If so, dig deeper and find out who the other members are and be sure that you want to align yourself with them. Are they companies or people that are known for being market leaders in your industry? Many trade group events take place during non-working hours. Be sure that you are spending your time with people who you can learn from and/or who you can develop future business opportunities with.
Don’t forget to include cost in your evaluation. Some are more expensive than others are. Additionally, some groups require individual membership, while others are corporate. For example, one trade group that my company belongs to charges nearly $2,000 per year for a corporate membership fee. However, many people at our company attend the various events and use the educational materials. In comparison, there are other trade groups in my industry that charge anywhere from $100 to $1,200 for an individual membership. Most companies will allow you to join at least one trade group. It may be that a group that is very expensive to join will provide you with significant benefits and is worth the money. However, you will likely need to justify the cost to your manager. My recommendation is to consider the cost and only request to join a specific group if you would consider paying for it out of your own pocket. If you can justify the cost to yourself, you are most likely to be able to gain buy-in from your manager on why this is the group for you and how joining it will benefit the company.
For most industries, there are many trade groups to consider. For example, when searching for an engineering trade group I easily generated a list of over 75 choices. Similarly, when you are finished your research and evaluation, you may find that your list has several groups on it. Narrow your list down to your top three choices and start attending seminars and meetings. It is common for a group to allow potential members to attend several meetings before requiring you to join. Try a few different events with each group and take note of which group you both learned and were able to connect with their members. After attending several events, you should easily be able to pick which group you want to become a member of.
The final step is key to making trade groups work for you: take an active role in the group. It is impossible to get the full benefit of being a group member without being active and participating. Usually you can start by joining a committee or simply asking the group leaders how you can help. By becoming a leader in the group you will be exposed to a larger network of people in the industry, and develop more meaningful relationships with other group members. Ultimately, people work with people they know and like. By being an active member of a trade group you will help you grow your career and your company’s success.
How did you decide which trade group to join?
