Associations have been the central hub for their members to look for emerging trends, best practices, innovative technology, and now more than ever, job opportunities. Associations currently have the chance to assist their members them with the tools to help them secure their next job.
Members are looking to associations for help
As a result of COVID-19, job displacement has plagued a majority of industries across the country. While some association members are looking for replacement jobs, others are seeking ways to stay on track with advancing their careers in a turbulent time.
In a recent study conducted by Community Brands, over 50% of members are engaging with their associations more now than before COVID-19. Of that group, 89% found their associations’ online CE to be helpful, as well as 80% found job boards to be helpful.
Associations may be underserving career growth
Understandably, the #1 priority for associations throughout 2020 was quickly translating in-person conferences and education events to a virtual setting. Association professionals succeeded in creating these programs, as well as keeping their members informed about industry news. While nearly all members value their training and CE, members are looking for benefits that will lead them to their next career move.
According to our recently published study, early-career members rank job opportunities in the top 5 benefits they seek from their association. However only 19% of association professionals responded that job opportunities are an important benefit to their members. Offering these job opportunity benefits support younger members to easily see the value of joining the association
Connecting members with new opportunities
Creating new employment opportunities in a recovering job market may not be something that associations can assist with, however preparing members and connecting them with future potential employers is a viable option. Not only do associations offer some of the most relevant and innovative content to help professionals advance their careers, but they also host some of the largest networks of both talented job seekers and employers. While some organizations may not be hiring at the moment, or some members are content at the current role, creating networking opportunities also connect members with future opportunities.
However, early careerists are just beginning to make connections and understand their industry’s career landscape. Connecting them with seasoned professionals can ensure that they are focusing their energies in the right areas to advance their career. By leveraging your member’s knowledgebase and experience, you can attract younger members that are looking for mentors and expertise they cannot find in their current role. All you need is to create a single place for them to connect and grow!
Some the ways you can help facilitate your members career advancement include:
- National and regional job boards
- Virtual networking events
- Mentorship opportunities
- Career discussion boards
Education designed specifically for career growth
While networking and job boards a great way to connect members with job opportunities, none of it will matter unless they are qualified for those jobs. Especially through the COVID-19 shutdown, associations are finding way to offer innovation continuing education (CE) programs to sharpen their skillset and discover new concepts. However, few associations offer tailored learning programs to guide a certain job role into the next tier.
Example: Offering a curriculum specifically designed for a Marketing Manager to become a Director of Marketing, with all the necessary skills and requirements.
While this may seem like a challenge, you may already have a huge amount of existing content that can be formatted into a program like this.
Growing members’ resumes with certification
According to our 2020 Membership Study Engagement Study, 62% of members responded that certifications are helpful to them right now. Only 41% of association professionals thought that these programs would be helpful to their members, suggesting another underserved benefit.
A unique identifier for many job candidates with similar qualifications are certifications. While certification may have been sought out by industries like law and medicine, more professionals in various industries are seeking certifications to build their resume. For employers that are also members of the association, these certifications are a useful way to have confidence that the candidate has ascertained the same standard of skills.
