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So what happens when you have such a large population of young people gathered together in one area? Well, they tend to form communities and groups, much like associations do for their members. And while not all of these young professional groups are career oriented, they do work to leverage the knowledge and skills these individuals bring to the table, allowing them to network and form friendships and relationships in a city that may be new to them, benefiting both the members and groups themselves. Organizations, including associations, can learn a lot from these groups, especially when it comes to attracting this next generation to the workforce.

Just Who Are These Young Professionals?

The first question that many of these groups deal with is this: How do you decide who is a young professional and who is not? Do you go simply by age (e.g., somewhere between early twenties and mid thirties)? Or do you go by how many years someone has been in the workforce or maybe how long they have been in their specific field (e.g., somewhere between one year and five)?

In most cases, young professional organizations put the age range somewhere between 20 and 35, although many welcome older members who consider themselves "young at heart." However, if these groups cater to a specific population, such as engineers or IT professionals, it may make it easier to specify who can belong or who cannot.

But what it really comes down to isn't a matter of age or years in the workforce; rather, it is a common sense of wanting to get to know a group of people with similar interests who they do not spend their 9-to-5 time with on a regular basis. As much as these young professionals may take pride in their careers, there is more to them than work, and developing relationships with their peers is key, especially in a highly career-driven area like Washington, DC.

How These Groups Benefit Their Members

While these groups may differ on who they consider to be a young professional and who they offer membership to, they are similar in that they offer a number of benefits that keep their members coming back for more. Greg Bland, CEO of Things to Do D.C.: Experiences for Young Professionals, a networking and social group with 138,000 members in the DC and Baltimore metropolitan area, says that the region is the ideal place to start a young professionals group. "First of all, the DC area attracts people who want to come here to build their careers and work, work, work," Bland says. "But while they're building their careers, they don't want to miss out on making connections and building networks that lead them down avenues to meet other people and foster friendships that may expand their horizons in the future." Bland says that DC-area young professional groups offer members a number of things that they often don't find in the workplace.

Unique opportunities. "The DC area is full of unique culture opportunities that you really can't find anywhere else," he says. For instance, Things to Do often holds events at embassies or other interesting venues found throughout the area. Networking events include cooking classes held at local restaurants or taught by area chefs. For the inauguration, the group hosted a ball. "As serious as people are about their careers, they also want to get away and have a bit of fun," Bland says. "They can't be serious all the time, so we try to mix the fun with educational."

Networking. "It goes without saying that DC is a networking town," Bland says. "Sometimes it matters who you know, so we try to help our members out with that." And while Bland does agree that it's important to have mentors and network with other generations, he also points out that it's just as important to network in your own age group-something these young professional groups offer. "Go talk to people in your own age group and build up your local network with those in the same age and career stage as yourself," he says. "After all, as you rise up the corporate ladder, so will they. By the time they're CEOs, you will be too. It's important to foster those relationships now.

"Say, for instance, you're a lawyer. You're at a networking reception, and you exchange contact information with a fellow young professional and the both of you stay in touch over the years. Well, years later, that same person may call you when they are running a company and need a lawyer. What you do today can affect what you do tomorrow."

Sounding board. Young professional groups offer those who are new to the workplace or a profession the opportunity to discuss with peers the problems they face on a day-to-day basis, whether that's how to communicate with different generations or how to be taken more seriously in the workplace. It also lets them talk out more serious issues, including how to negotiate a raise or how to deal with conflict. "Career seminars also draw huge turnouts for us," Bland says. "People want to know how to improve themselves, so they can do better in their careers. … They also want to have a place where they can openly communicate with their peers without fearing the repercussions-whether real or imagined-that they fear can happen in the workplace."

Leadership. One common complaint that young professionals often have is thinking that they're not taken seriously or given enough responsibility in the office. While this varies greatly depending on the organization, joining a young professional group gives these young professionals the opportunity to gain leadership skills. Many of these organizations have boards of directors or different councils that need leaders. "No one said that leadership skills can only be developed in the workplace," Bland says. "The DC area is ripe with young leadership talent and volunteering for various roles is a good place to get it."

What This All Means for Associations

As an association professional, you may be reading this article thinking what the repercussions of these groups can be for your organization. To put it simply: They can be both a curse and a blessing. While they may be competing for your young members' time, you can learn a lot from them on how to develop your organization's young professional strategy.

The American Society for Nutrition, based in Bethesda, Maryland, began its strategy in 2006 with the launch of its young professional member category. The category-referred to as Postdoctoral in the society's bylaws-was designed to provide a home for postdoctoral fellows, medical residents, and other professionals who had graduated in the past three years. The reasons for starting this category were many. "ASN wanted to keep these young nutrition professionals looped into what's out there recently," says Diana Tavares, marketing and membership manager. "We wanted to show them that moving from a student membership to a young professional investment is worth the investment."

One of the resources that keep ASN's members coming back-whether they are young or seasoned professionals-is access to the organization's world-renowned journals, including The Journal of Nutrition and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "These are go-to resources for everyone who works in the nutrition field whether they are researchers or not," says Tavares. "So we try to tout these when we recruit our young professional members."

However, Tavares also recognizes how difficult it is to reach out to this group. "As an organization, we have to figure out a way to market to this group," she says. ASN is hoping to more consistently track the graduation dates of their student members, so that they can try to engage them as young professionals before their student memberships lapse. "And once we do that, it's a matter of keeping them engaged as young professionals, whether it's offering special events or seminars. We know we have to offer them a mix of purely professional events and lighter ones where they have the opportunity to mingle," Tavares says. The organization currently offers young professional networking events and gives young members the opportunity to meet with ASN fellows at its annual meeting. "As an organization, we hope that the benefits we offer our young professional members will compete with other groups out here in the DC area and carry them through with the organization."

While it's important for associations to target their young professional members by pushing the various resources they have to offer, as ASN does, it's just as important for them to think a bit outside the box and offer them the unusual and unexpected, similar to what the larger DC-area young professional organizations do.

Bland at Things to Do D.C. says that area associations and nonprofits can learn a lot from organizations like his. One easy thing they can do-and must do-is take advantage of technology. "Young professionals rely on technology," he says. "If your group's not doing the same, you're not going to reach them-no matter what. Make sure you're on Twitter, Facebook. Even the simplest thing-like keeping your website updated-will make a difference. If you don't, your group will just seem out of date and the young professionals you need to carry on your group will flee."

It's also important to make this group feel comfortable. Personal touches will make a difference. "Let them know that you know what's on their mind," he says. One prime example that is affecting almost every profession: the economy. Hold a career seminar or financial management seminar that caters especially to your younger members, who may not be making as much money or who most likely have never had to deal with a recession, let alone work through one.

By keeping their worries top of mind and acknowledging them, your organization is more likely to be talked about by this group. "And there's nothing better than great word of mouth," Bland says. "These young members are going to be the same members who carry your organizations forward and tell their peers about it."

Just remember: While the greater Washington area may be full of career-savvy young professionals looking to leave their mark, it doesn't mean they're going to come knocking on your organization's door to advance their careers. It's up to associations to use a bit of creativity to recruit them and then keep them engaged.

Samantha Whitehorne, who just so happens to be one of these young professionals living in the DC area, is managing editor of Associations Now. Email: swhitehorne@asaecenter.org

More Articles From Associations Now, February 2009

  Why Your Association Needs a Sense of Urgency

  A How-To (and How-Not-To) Guide to Launching a Magazine

  The Upside of Down

  How Are Your Ethics?

  Finding Space for Success

  Strategy Session: What To Do When Funding Falters?

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