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NEW 210, From Promise to Practice

The Value of Professional Organizations and Associations

Identifying and connecting with professional associations and organizations in your career field of interest can be invaluable for your professional development and job prospects.  Almost any job requiring a college degree will have one or more professional organizations that are devoted to promoting their field, keeping fellow professionals up-to-date, providing job leads and tips, and offering professional development opportunities.  

Being connected to the leading professional organizations in your chosen field is a sign that you are serious and knowledgeable.  

Associations Unlimited

Identifying Organizations Using Google

Professional associations usually publish trade literature or maintain web sites that contain useful information about a profession.

Google is a good source for finding professional associations and organizations. You can limit your search to only ".org" domains using a simple trick.  ".org" denotes sites such as non-profit associations and special interest or advocacy organizations.  Almost every profession or job has a professional organization.   

To locate professional organizations, enter your search using your selected occupation combined with "site:.org."  Example:

You still have a little work to do.  Examine each organization carefully and try to determine the organizations role in the profession.  For example, The American Psychological Association is the leading professional organization for psychologists.  

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