Career Exploration Career Associations
This week, we look at Career Exploration tools
We look at Career Associations as a way to explore a career.
Career Associations are (at least one definition) people grouped together related to a particular career.
National/Local Level
Career Associations may have both national and regional career associations. The regional career association may have different career resources than the national career association. So, you may be able to get information from both the national and regional career associations to help you with career exploration.
Here are some ways career associations can help you with career exploration
- Career Association may have detailed information about that profession
- Publication catalog – a career association may publish a publication catalog listing different publications (like books and magazines) that a career association may produce; you may get more information about a profession.
- Career Journals—A career association may have a career journal, Which is a magazine that the association produces. The journal covers current topics in that profession.
Annual Review
A career journal may also publish an annual review edition, which gives the reader valuable information about the profession’s current state over the last year (not all career journals will have an annual review). The annual review may include information on job prospects, salary rates, and educational standards.
- Membership directory—A career association may provide a membership directory, which you can use as a source for informational interviews.
- Job Openings – a career association may provide job openings; you may get more information about a profession by looking at the job openings of that profession. You may learn, for example, skills that are needed, what educational requirements are requested, and the typical work activities being requested in the job positions of that profession.
- Conferences – sometimes, a career association may offer a conference where you may learn more about a profession. Conferences may allow you the following.
- Hear speakers about the current topics in the profession.
- You may be able to visit commercial business booths at the conference. The commercial business booths at the conference sell different products and services that would interest people attending the conference. You may learn about some of the products and services used in the profession by looking at commercial business booths.
- Employment service – sometimes conferences may offer an employment service – you may be able to learn about the profession by seeing what opportunities may be available. The competition for those opportunities at the conference may also give you an idea of how competitive it may be to find opportunities in that profession.
Here are some ways to find career information to explore a career.
Career associations can help you explore a career.