Using associations as a job source surprises people. But, they are a great, somewhat hidden treasure for job seekers.
Many (if not most) professional and industry associations offer job postings as a service to members and, often, also to non-members. Since professional associations exist for most industries and careers, they are often very effective “niche” job boards for their fields.
Of course, in addition to job postings, professional and industry associations often serve as excellent venues for making networking connections since many have local meetings as well as national conferences. They may also manage related LinkedIn Groups and offer other social networking opportunities. And, as we all know, networking is THE BEST way to connect with a new job.
Job-Hunt has a large directory of professional associations, organized by industry or profession. In it, we link to the association’s home page, give you a summary of what is available on the site (like a directory of members and/or a career center), and then a link to the job postings, if there are any. Just click on the link subtly labeled “JOBS” to find the job postings. Click on the association’s name to go to the association’s home page.
These are the current categories and sub-categories of associations in Job-Hunt’s Directory of Professional and Industry Associations:
- Computers & Technology Associations
- Consultants & Consulting Associations
- Education & Teaching Associations
- Engineering Associations
- Finance, Accounting, & Banking Associations plus -
- Government (Federal, State, and Local)
- Green Industry Associations
- Human Resources Associations
- Journalism & Freelance Writing Associations
- Law & Law Enforcement Associations
- Marketing and Sales Associations
- Medicine and Healthcare Associations
- Women’s Associations plus -
Associations offer networking opportunities even if they don’t have job postings. If you can, attend some of the meetings and conferences. They are not only great networking opportunities, but also opportunities to learn more about the field/industry, particularly important if you are considering changing careers or moving your career to a new industry.
For More Information on Where to Find Jobs
Finding Jobs on Professional and Industry Association Websites
© Copyright, 2013, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved.
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About the author…
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Susan also edits and publishes WorkCoachCafe.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Google+.