Five Social Groups Every Professional Should Join
March 18, 2010
It’s the weekend. What are your plans? Meet your pals for some wings? Girls night?!! Or are you just not that interested in your friends and acquaintances to go out?
If your social network is suffering due to relocation, graduation, or simply a lack of motivation, you’ve got to make a change. Being and staying connected is one of the best ways to achieve your career and personal goals, and to give your life an overall kick in the right direction. When you miss out on networking, you’re missing some major opportunities.
Sure, you probably meet people at your neighborhood drinking establishments, but those joints are for people trying to escape their lives, not embrace them. The following five social groups are a far better place to start. If they sound corny at first then stop trying to be so cool. They’re the classics, the staples of a well balanced social diet. Start with these and you’re bound to start seeing changes in your life for the better.
1. Industry Professional Organization
If you get paid to do it (or even if you don’t), there’s probably a professional organization out there for you. A place where men and women in a similar line of work can go to talk about their industry, exchange cards and drink one too many Coors.
Aside from being a great way to make new contacts, regular meeting attendance with and industry organization will help you stay on top of your game at work by keeping you up to date on the latest industry trends and giving you an edge over your co-workers. Get online and read the bios for some of the top execs in your industry. Did they stay with the same company for their entire career? Some did, but others jumped around. With each jump came a better position, and you can bet your arse they slid into those positions through networking.
Meet as many people as you can in your own industry. This single act can help your career more than any other.
2. City Government
When you give to your city, your city is going to give back. Put some time in at your local chamber of commerce, economic club or city council. Being in the know and letting community leaders get to know you is a surefire way become the go-to-guy when a problem requiring your expertise comes up, especially if you provide a professional service or work across industries.
Think of it as the adult version of student council and graduate at the top of your class.
3. Sporting league
You might already belong to a gym, but this is different. Whether you’re shooting baskets or shooting skeet, participating in a sport or sports club of one type or another is a prime way to relax and escape the noise of life for a few hours. On a personal level, the repeated interaction and camaraderie of this environment means you’re likely to meet some new friends, and on a professional level, long-lasting contacts you know you can trust. The people that play defense for you on the court will do the same in the board room.
4. Charity
You’ve read this far, so you’re probably lucky enough to have a lifestyle that would elicit concern for such issues. Let me guess, you’re an early to mid career white collar worker in the United States. If that’s correct, consider yourself fortunate and don’t forget to give back. You may not meet a future business partner or mate, but the people you do meet will be infinitely more appreciative of your time. And what will you get out of it? You’ll get the satisfaction of knowing that you directly impacted the life of another for the better, and the opportunity to interact with people you wouldn’t run into during your day-to-day affairs.
5. Inter-office Club
Swallow your pride and stop worrying about what that cute guy in accounting is going to think. You know those groups in your office/firm/battalion that make it a “fun” and “safe” place to work? For example, the Fire Safety Team and The Employee Appreciation Team or, my favorite, The Birthday Team. Every office has them, and they’re usually the definition of uncool, but so what? You’re confident, you can handle it. Hold your breath, take a leap and join one of these groups next time that monthly invite graces your inbox. You’ll get your name out in the office and increase your visibility, which means more projects, more name recognition and, ultimately, more face time with managers. The boss doesn’t promote the coolest employees, she promotes the ones that show they care about the company, and this will help you do exactly that.
