Why joining a professional organization is good for your career

As this year's student liaison for the International Association of Business Communicators, Manitoba Chapter (IABC Manitoba), I act as the link between Creative Communications students and IABC Manitoba.

I'm fortunate to have had the chance to take on this role as I'm learning so much about managing a portfolio and setting strategic goals and objectives. I would encourage first-year students to apply for the student liaison position next year as it's a worthwhile experience!

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to first-year CreComm students and the second-year PR majors about the benefits of joining IABC Manitoba, and I'd like to provide an overview of some of those benefits for anyone who missed that class or needs further clarification. 

So, what's in it for you?

1. Connections.

Most people don't know that 80 per cent of today's jobs are landed through networking. So while you may have 500+ Facebook friends from high school and college or university, that may not necessarily help you in the world of communications where there are many new people to meet and remember.

IABC Manitoba will be hosting at least five events this year and as a member, you will pay much less to get into these events, and sometimes you may even get in for free. There's also opportunities to volunteer on the Board next year once you have an idea of what the association is all about.

2. Valuable information.

There is a members only section of the IABC website with online resources such as articles on best practices, case studies, communication templates and access to Communication World, IABC's member magazine.

3. Job postings.

We're all putting so much time and effort into studying communications so we can eventually work in the field, so why not set ourselves up for job-hunting success?

Whether you're graduating this spring and will be looking for full-time work, or you'll be heading back to finish college in the fall and need a summer job, joining IABC can help you find a job or internship in communications. Many of the job postings that appear on the members-only section of the IABC website are only posted there, or are posted there for some time before they go up anywhere else.

4. Membership discount.

Yes, most of us are broke students, but we can also usually manage to find an extra $20 here and there for a drink and a bite at the King's Head. I'm not saying to give that up, I'm saying we've all probably spent $52. 50 — the annual cost of an IABC student membership — on some less important things than furthering our careers.

Check out IABC Manitoba's website at http://manitoba.iabc.com and if you have any questions about IABC or anything else CreComm-related, get in touch with me by email at meghanbfranklin@gmail.com or on Twitter @Meginthepeg.