So for my readers that are not familiar, SHRM stands for the Society of Human Resource Management. It’s the biggest of the HR professional association around. They have small state chapters and even smaller city chapters. Then once a year they have this big ole National Conference. In 2012 the national conference was held in Atlanta, and next year it’s going to be in Chicago. I don’t have to wait till 2013 because right now, August 5-7^th the State of Illinois is having its SHRM state conference and I’m going.

I rant about what it takes to be competitive and relevant in today’s job market. I’ve discussed the importance of having a skill, trade, education and or certification. And I’ve talked extensively about how paramount it is to have a network. Well part of your network should be some sort of professional association or affiliation, for most careers there is something out there. You can’t just get a level of success and quit. IT’S NOT ENOUGH. You have to keep connecting and growing.

I digress…

Anyway as I prepare to attend the 1^st of what I hope to be many SHRM conferences, I can’t help but to think about how we (all of us workers) tend to fall short of professional associations. I was watching television the other day and there was “Professional Organizer Association.” A what? Yes, organizer, as in categorizing and storing stuff. Hey, I ain’t knocking it but if there is a certification and association for organizing crap then I am certain there is one for your profession. Get involved people!

Pay the dues, read the books and attend a couple conferences too. It’s all worth it. I didn’t realize the value of SHRM until I was laid off and contacted them. They were super supportive and accommodating.  Later this year I will be taking the SHRM certification test but that’s another article for another time.

Right now, I’m about to get my SHRM on and I’m amped to meet a few people…In no particular order:

Susan Avello, Dave Ryan, John Jorgenson, Sabrina Baker, Nicole Ochs, Sara “Buzz” Williams, “The Doc” Dr. Crosby, William Tincup, Jason Lauristen, Joe Gerstandt, Brad Galin, Curtis “SM Guru” Midkiff, John Hudson, Mike VanDerVort, Jeff Waldon, Geoff Webb, Dwane Lay, Victorio Milian…

Man, who am I missing? Charge it to my head and not my heart.

Let’s get our SHRM on!