Now that college is over and you may or may not be separating from your circle of friends who have either moved back home or accepted jobs in other areas, who are you going to hang out with?
How are you going to network and build connections either on a social level or a professional level?
We have an easy answer for you, join a Young Professionals Organization in your area!You now may be asking yourself, “what is a Young Professionals Organization”? They are organizations that allow young people to give back to their communities while also building both professional and personal relationships with others with similar interests. If community service is important to you and you’re willing to put the time into meetings and events, this is the right place for you.
We cannot stress enough how YPOs give you the opportunity to meet people your age with similar priorities as your own. At this point in your life, you may be transitioning from party mode to happy hour mode and your peers will also be in this state of mind as well. So meeting people who will share your idea of fun will be easy to find. Maybe you’ve moved to a completely new town and have no idea how you’re going to make friends your age, you definitely will upon joining a YPO.
Joining a YPO will add to your skillset and enhance your resume. You will have your hands in event planning, decision making, marketing, social media and many other duties that go into achieving the many goals of whichever organization you choose to join. These organizations need board members, which will require more of a commitment and dues may need to be paid, but it will be more than worth it as you will gain so much from the experience. If your job isn’t giving you a chance to learn as much as you’d like, being a board member can do that for you. You’ll also learn what goes into running a professionals organization and decide if you’d like to start your own in a subject that is more near and dear to you.
Your decision to join one may not depend what it can do for you, but what you can do for the cause. There are YPOs for Alzheimer’s, fighting hunger and pretty much every cause. If the issue is important to you and you want to lend a hand and make a difference, joining a YPO is the best way to do so or even starting your own YPO if you are unable to find one that fits you.
One of the drawbacks to a YPO is that there may be monetary dues that need to be met in order to join, much like joining a sorority, and sometimes those can be high. If that’s not something you can afford, try researching free YPOs. Another thing to keep in mind is that the perks may outweigh the dues, so you get return on investment. Also, some dues can be tax write offs, so you may get that back at the end of the year.
Young Professional Organizations take a lot of work and time but we think they are definitely worth it because you get so much in return and it will be more than rewarding. Research your local YPOs and start giving back! Are you a part of a YPO? Share your experiences below in the comments.
(Feature Photo via Bright Thoughts)