Association Marketing Springboard

I'm in transition. Nearly two months ago, I decided to leave my position at CK Marketing. Having just completed my final project for CK, I'm now determined to take the next two months to explore the possibilities for my future. It's exciting and scary and energizing and sleep-disturbing...everything I hoped it would be.

I've now joined a group of people who cause fits for marketers and membership organizations--the job changers. We are difficult to track. We are often forced to transfer or drop our employer-paid memberships. We might have been the main membership evangelist for our organization, so what happens there now that we're gone? And these days, economic and cultural forces are colliding, meaning more and more people will change positions more and more frequently throughout their careers.

It's About More than Your Job Board
True friendships are forged during times of transition. You learn who you can depend on for advice and guidance. You reflect on who has been there for you all along. You notice when someone puts in a little extra effort to help. So the question is...what kind of friendship does your association forge with members? What about lapsed members? When we talk about providing benefits, increasing retention and growing engagement, aren't we really trying to refine our relationship with our constituents?

What do I need from my association during these next two months? At the moment, I'm not that interested in job boards. Here are the three things that do interest me...

1. Opportunities to network and participate in the association face-to-face.
2. Access to communities of practice where I can stay engaged and continue to hone my skills.
3. Continued contact and communication from the association...and an easy way to keep my information up-to-date.