Smooth The Path

Member Informed Strategy, Innovation & Marketing

  • Home
  • Speaking
    • Presentations
    • Upcoming Events
    • Happy Event Organizers
    • Happy Participants
  • Services
    • Clients
  • Resources
    • Associations of the Future
    • New Member Engagement Study
    • Association Industry Innovation Research Study
    • New Strategies for Member Onboarding, Engagement, and Retention E-book
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

September 19, 2019 By Amanda Kaiser

Our Careers Are a Big Part of Our Identity

If you only had a few sentences to tell another professional who you are, what would you say?

At parties, you hear people say I’m an attorney, or I’m a teacher, or I own a business. Instead of specifying a profession sometimes people will say, “I work in health care” or “I work for Google,” which is another way of saying, “I work in tech.”  Sometimes, although rarer, you’ll hear people say something like, “I advocate for human rights.” For many of us, a big part of our identity our profession, our affiliation with our industry, or our career mission.

The impact on identity is one of the reasons career transitions are so difficult for many members. If I take a leave of absence from being a professor, am I still a professor? If I retire from my company, am I still the professional I was for all those years? What will people think if I leave this industry and go to that industry? Navigating these challenging transitions is another way associations can help members.

During every transition, members are busy trying to either join or uncouple their identity with their newest career or life stage. Recently graduated students are deciding whether to find affiliation with their new profession or industry. New parents are juggling new obligations of parenthood with their careers, and this changes their identity. Members change jobs, companies, and industries. Sometimes their level of responsibility moves up and sometimes down; each move has an impact on identity.

How can associations help?

Student programs can help students find affinity with their chosen industry or profession. Job posting and job training programs can help members navigate the always fluctuating environment of employment. Entrepreneurial programs can help members make the transition from staff member to a business owner. Volunteer programs can help retirees make tremendous contributions. Marketing programs can help employees boost their personal brand when times are tough.

Are you looking for more ways to help members? Study their career transitions and how those changes impact their identity.

Related:

  • We join because this is what we do
  • What are associations really selling? 
  • Understand the three professional stages to improve the value

Filed Under: Association Value Tagged With: association value, creative problem solving, delivering value, innovation mindset, key value proposition, membership value, perception of value, solving members' problems

Follow

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign up for member insights & association inspiration.

Work With Me

Recent Posts

Association Strategy
Association Marketing
Association Innovation
Association Leadership
Association Value
Member Experience

Member Engagement
Member Research
Member Insights
Conference
Membership

Member Research

Blog

About

Happy Clients

Speaking

Popular Presentations

Contact Us

More Resources

Copyright © 2021 Amanda Kaiser