Careers, Professional Development Top of Mind for Readers

Career advancement continues to capture the interest of association leaders across North America, whether they’re mid-career, just out of school or long-ensconced in the C-suite.

According to our third annual Association Communication Benchmarking Study, career or professional development topics garnered four of the Top 10 topics deemed most important for association leaders.

Nearly half (49.6 percent) of the 910 respondents to this query said “how to/best practices” information was highly important to them. More than two out of five respondents (41.5 percent) cited “career/professional development” information as highly important to them. Approximately one out of four respondents (25.8 percent) cited “statistics that help them do their jobs better” and one in six (16.6 percent) pointed to “networking programs for young professionals.”

As one survey respondent commented, “Grab their attention as early as you can. Work with colleges and universities to start or work with the club for your industry or career. They become some of the most loyal and active members you will ever have, but you have to listen to what they ask for and provide those services.”

Christine Smith, president of Boxwood Technology, a leading provider of online career centers and services for associations that was recently acquired by Naylor, LLC, said she’s not surprised by the research findings. “As an individual looking for your next career opportunity, it’s important that you network with the best professional society in your industry,” she said.

See this Corner Office for the full interview with Smith.