Your Association's Annual Conference

Here's a new career tip: attend your association's annual conference! Why? Not only are conferences and other association events educational, they're a great chance to get out there and network. Whether it's a conference, annual meeting or tech expo, attend your organization's event for great opportunities to:

Share ideas. Here's your chance to ask questions and exchange ideas with your professional peers. You'll also have the opportunity to speak with more experienced members of your profession and ask them about their own careers. Find out what's hot in the industry and how they have achieved success.

Meet potential employers. This is the best kind of "first interview". You'll be in a casual, relaxed environment when you meet someone at a conference. Take a seat next to someone and you never know who they might be or what kind of people they are looking to hire. An association event provides a great setting for that initial meeting, and a potential employer will be impressed that you are committed to being involved with a professional organization.

If you want to make the most of a special event, check with your association to see if you can receive a list of registered attendees prior to the meeting. Someone may be there from a certain organization that interests you. Make it a point to introduce yourself to target decision makers at the conference, and be sure to follow up with a phone call or email after the event to discuss opportunities with their company.

Learn more about organizations. Have you always wanted to learn more about a specific firm? This is your chance to meet someone who can give you information about a potential employer. Introduce yourself to a staff member. Let them know you've always been interested in their organization and would like to learn more. The conference might not be an appropriate time to ask a long list of questions about the company, but you can follow up and schedule a meeting post-conference.

Find open positions. Many progressive associations are now offering on-site career centers at their special events. Attendees can search online databases of opportunities, send resumes to other attendees and even schedule interviews during the conference. The CareerBank.com technology division developed this type of system for the Optical Fiber Conference. View an example here.

Be a part of the future. The most successful career enhancer is someone who supports his or her profession. Attend your association's conferences to play a part in the future of your industry. Now more than ever, the accounting and finance community needs its most successful members to come forward and promote the right message, lobby Congress and speak out in support of the industry. More than a single job, this sort of initiative makes the future of your entire career brighter!