Professional organizations are highly beneficial to students who have just gradated from college and also young professionals seeking to expand their network. Professional organizations include a group of people from the same profession who meet regularly for network events and come up with business standards for the specific profession. Networking groups are beneficial for students because they provide an outlet for an individual to learn about a specific profession of interest and to seek out mentors. Young professionals who desire to expand their network and establish a career path can also benefit from mentors.

Here are 7 ways that professional networks can benefit you:

• Internships and Job Opportunities
  • Professional associations have their own job and internship boards where members can list openings available in their company. A job board in a professional organization can ben very beneficial because of the ability to get in contact with the individual who has posted the job.
• Conferences
  • Professional organizations often times host annual conferences or meet ups that can be highly beneficial towards networking, learning about the field, and finding mentors. Conferences are also discounted for members.
• Exclusive Online Resources
  • Professional Organizations offer a range of resources online that are made available to members such as message boards, databases, and even online courses.
• Professional Development
  • Professional development is a priority and organizations will sometimes offer free or discounted courses and certificates.
• Discounted Or Free Publications
  • Free membership will also include access to newsletters, magazines, and video tutorials.
• Mentoring
  • The nature of professional networks is that it allows you to be exposed to a number of people within a particular industry. Many times this is a good foundation for meeting a mentor or requesting for available coaching or mentorship services.
• Scholarship
  • For young members there may be scholarships available to encourage individuals seeking to enter into a particular field.