… and they see a direct relation to career success and their contributions in the office! With thanks to all who participated, here are the results of last Thursday’s Weekend Poll, in which I asked … Do you belong to a professional association or network?­

You may want to share this article with a colleague or friend the next time you’re having a conversation as to whether s/he should join one of your professional associations or networks. It’s clear that these associations are valued by career assistants, who identified dozens in which they’re involved.

An overwhelming yes

A whopping 96% of respondents reported that you belong to one or more professional associations or networks. This is the fourth consecutive year I’ve posed such questions to readers, and participation in such bodies has swung up and down a bit over the last four years – from 89% of respondents in 2016 to 95% in 2017 and then dipping back to 87% before bouncing up to 96% in 2019.

For the 4% of respondents who don’t participate in such associations, all of them cited budget constraints as the stumbling block.

There’s room for more than one peer network

Thirty-three percent of you who responded belong to a single professional association or network, with the majority of those being external bodies. Do the math, and you’ll see that 67% of respondents belong to two or more peer groups. You’ll find full details in the data below.

Men in the room, and in the career

Remembering that these percentages reflect estimates and not respondents’ formal counts of membership, your responses would suggest that there may be more men within your professional associations (or at least more awareness of their presence) than in previous years.

EPAA, the UK’s Executive and Personal Assistants Association, began its campaign on the issue of gender stereotypes within the Business Support Profession in 2017. I first posed this question in 2017, and 13% of respondents that year estimated that 0% of their membership was male. That number dropped to 7% in 2018 and declined again in 2019, to 4%.

In 2019, 8% of you estimated that men represent anywhere from 11% to 20% of your professional associations’ and networks’ membership. That’s up from 2% in 2018 and 3% in 2017.

Meaningful career impacts

Ninety-one percent of respondents reported that your membership in professional associations and networks has enhanced your career. How so? I asked readers to identify the single most single most positive impact, and to also rate the second and third most positive impacts these bodies have upon your careers.

You’ll find all the details below, where you’ll see that credentials/certifications topped the list; 32% of respondents chose this response. It was followed closely by contacts, identified by 29%. Contacts and conferences/skills came in next as having the single most positive career impact, with both these options identified by 10% of respondents.

Communicating the value

For the last three years, I’ve asked readers whether your membership in these associations and networks has enhanced your workplace performance. The percentage of affirmative responses continues to rise. While 6% of respondents said no, another 94% reported that such memberships have enhanced your performance.

If you’re in the affirmative camp, have you made a point of letting your principal (boss) know this? Check below to see what your peers have to say on this, and on the other questions I raised.

In the photo atop your screen: yours truly with members/some of the leaders of IMA, International Management Assistants, before my presentation at Executive Secretary LIVE in London last year. This picture is illustrative of the international nature of networking, as you have a Canuck (Canadian) alongside IMA members from Belgium, England, Norway and The Netherlands.

THE DATA

Note: Information below reflects the percentages of respondents who selected specific responses from multiple choice options.

1. Do you belong to any professional associations or networks?

• Yes: 96% of respondents, compared to 87% in 2018, 95% in 2017 and 89% in 2016
• No: 4% of respondents, compared to 13% in 2018, 5% in 2017 and 11% in 2016

2.  If you do NOT belong to a professional association or network, which of the following best describes the reason?

• Budget constraints: 100% of respondents, compared to 60% in 2017 and 33.3% in 2017, the first year I posed this question.
• In 2018, 10% of respondents identified time as the factor; that compares to 33.3% in 2017

3.  Do you participate in an internal network or association at your place of employment? This is the first year I posed this question.

• No; we don’t have one: 67% of respondents
• Yes: 33% of respondents

4.   To how many professional associations/networks do you belong?

• one external professional association/network: 31% of respondents, compared to 18% in 2018, 24% in 2017 and 21% in 2016 who identified as belonging to a single association/network
• one internal professional association/network: 2% of respondents (note that this is the first year I’ve offered this selection as a response)
•  two professional associations/networks: 37% of respondents, compared to 30% in 2018, 40% in 2017 and 33% in 2016
• three professional associations/networks: 20% of respondents. compared to 24% in 2018, 20% in 2017 and  23% in 2016
• four professional associations/networks: 8% of respondents, compared to 9% in 2018, 0% in 2017 and  10% in 2016
• five professional associations/networks: 0% of respondents, compared to 4% in 2018, 8% in 2017 and 10% in 2016
• six professional associations/networks: 2% of respondents, compared to 2% in 2018, 8% in 2017 and 10% in 2016 

5. What percentage of membership in your network(s)/association(s) do you estimate is male?

• 0% male membership:  4% of respondents, compared to 7% in 2018 and 13% in 2017, the first year I posed this question
• 1-5% male: 57% of respondents, compared to 62% in 2018 and 68% in 2017
• 6-10% male: 29% of respondents, compared to 16% in 2018 and 10% in 2017
• 11-20% male: 8% of respondents, compared to 2% in 2018 and 3% in 2017
• 21-30% male: 2% of respondents, compared to 4% in 2018, the first year I identified this range of percentages
• 31-40% male: 0% of respondents
• 41-50% male: 0% of respondents
• >50% male: 0% of respondents

6. How long have you been involved in professional associations or networks?

• <1 year: 0% of respondents, compared to 7% in 2018, the first year I included this response option
• 1-2 years: 10% of respondents, compared to 11% in 2018, 17% in 2017 and  18% in 2016
• 3-5 years:  32% of respondents, compared to 18% in 2018, 22% in 2017 and 33% in 2016
• 6-8 years: 10% of respondents, compared to 15% in 2018, 25% in both 2017 and 2016
• 9-10 years: 10% of respondents, compared to 11% in 2018, 6% in 2017 and  12% in 2016
• 11-15 years: 20% of respondents, compared to 13% in 2018, 19% in 2017 and 7% in 2016
• 16-20 years: 8% of respondents, compared to 9% in 2018, 5.5% in 2017 and 2.5% in 2016
• 21-25 years: 8% of respondents, compared to 7% in 2018, 8% in 2017 and 3% in 2016
• 26+ years: 2% of respondents, compared to 9% in 2018, the first year I included this response option

7. Has membership in such associations/networks enhanced your career?

• Yes: 91% of respondents, compared to 88% in 2018, 79% in 2017 and  86% in 2016
• No: 8% of respondents, compared to 7% in 2018, 18% in 2017 and  12% in 2016
• It’s early days; I don’t yet know: 1% of respondents; this is the first year I’ve included this as a response option

8. Which are the three most significant positive impacts such associations/networks have on your career? Note: I revised the response options in 2019. In 2018, development of professional contacts/network topped the list, followed by leadership skill development and then attainment of credentials or certifications. For 2019, I added new response options such as “conferences/skills” and “advocacy”.

• Most significant positive impact:
  1. credential/certification: 32% of respondents
  2. contacts: 29% of respondents
  3. conferences/skills: 10% of respondents
  4. advocacy: 10% of respondents
  5. confidence and peer support: tied at 7% each
  6. leadership skills: 4% of respondents
  7. issue/trend insights: 1% of respondents
• Second most significant positive impact: 
  1. conferences/skills: 24% of respondents
  2. contacts: 22% of respondents
  3. leadership skills: 12% of respondents
  4. issue/trend insights: 10% of respondents
  5. peer support: 10% of respondents
  6. advocacy and confidence: tied at 8% each
  7. credential/certification: 6% of respondents
• Third most significant positive impact:
  1. conferences/skills: 20% of respondents
  2. contacts: 14% of respondents
  3. credential/certification: 14% of respondents
  4. confidence, leadership skills and peer support: tied at 12% each
  5. advocacy and issue/trend insights: tied at 8% each

9. Has membership in such associations/networks enhanced your workplace performance?

• Yes: 94% of respondents, compared to 86% in 2018 and 17% in 2017, the first year I posed this question
• No: 6% of respondents, compared to 11% in 2018 and 22% in 2017

10.Is your employer aware of the positive impact your network/association has upon your performance?

• Yes; I’ve communicated this to my employer: 56% of respondents, compared to 46% of respondents in 2018, the first year I posed this question
• Yes; my employer recognises this independent of my communications on the matter: 28% of respondents, compared to 29% of respondents in 2018
• No: 16% of respondents, compared to 15% of respondents in 2018

11. Has membership in such associations/networks enhanced your social life?

• Yes: 72% of respondents, compared to 68% in 2018, 72% in 2017 and 87% in 2016
• No: 28% of respondents,  compared to 30% in 2018, 28% in 2017 and 13% in 2016

12. Have you held any leadership positions within such associations/ networks?

• Yes: 69% of respondents, compared to 66% in 2018,  65% in 2017 and 70% in 2016
• No: 31% of respondents, compared to 31% in 2018, 35% in 2017 and 28% in 2016

13. How is your membership in external networks/associations funded?

• Self-funded: 43% of respondents, compared to 43% in 2018, 56% in 2017 and 49% in 2016
• Employer-funded: 36% of respondents, compared to 34% in 2018, 23% in 2017 and 25% in 2016
• Self- and employer-funded: 11% of respondents, compared to 15% in 2018, 13% in 2017 and 20% in 2016
• N/A; no associated costs or fees: 10% of respondents, compared to 9% in 2018, 8% in 2017 and 5% in 2016

14. Do any of your professional associations/networks offer certifications or credentials?

• Yes: 84% of respondents, compared to 88% in 2018, 69% in 2017, the first year I posed this question
• No: 16% of respondents, compared to 9% in 2018 and 23% in 2017

15. Do any of your professional associations/networks offer awards/peer recognition?

• Yes: 74% of respondents, compared to 71% in 2018 and 69% in 2017, the first year I posed this question
• No: 26% of respondents, compared to 27% in 2018 and 28% in 2017, the first year I posed this question

16. Do any of your networks/professional associations offer mentorship programs?

• Yes: 59% of respondents, compared to 77% in 2018, the first year I posed this question
• No: 41% of respondents, compared to 21% in 2018 

17.  Which of these channels do you most use for your professional association/network communications? Note: 2019 is the first year I posed this question.

1. Most used for communications: email (30% of respondents) – followed, in descending order, by Facebook (28%), website (23%), Twitter (8%), LinkedIn (8%), Instagram (1%)
2. Second most used: also email (35% of respondents) – followed, in descending order, by Facebook (20%), LinkedIn (20%), website (16%), Twitter (8%)
3. Third most used: Facebook, LinkedIn and network/association website tied at 24% of respondents each
4. Instagram and YouTube were the least frequently mentioned

18.  Please name external professional associations/networks to which you belong. 

1. AAP – Association of Administrative Professionals
2. APAI – The Association of Professional Administrators in Ireland
3. Association of Administrative Professionals New Zealand Inc.
4. Abuja
5. AMA – American Management Association
6. APAI – The Association of Professional Administrators in Ireland
7. ASAP – American Society of Administrative Professionals
8. ASEA
9. AuSAE – The Australasian Association of Association Executives
10. BBB
11. bsb (Germany)
12. Belfast PA Network
13. Chamber of Commerce EA network
14. Chartered Institute of Management
15. CPMA
16. DRII
17. Eat Your Career
18. Edinburgh PA Network
19. Employer-sponsored group (there were a few such references to internal networks)
20. EPAA – Executive & Personal Assistants Association (UK)
21. Executive Secretary group
22. HRMA
23. IAAP – International Association of Administrative Professionals
24. IMA – International Management Assistants
25. IMA Germany
26. Lean In Belfast
27. Manchester PA Network
28. NAPAHE – National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education
29. Office Dynamics
30. Office Ninjas
31. Oil & Gas Admins
32. PA Hub Leeds
33. PMA
34. Philanthropy New York
35. REACH – Regional Executive Assistants Cocktail Hour
36. Scottish PA Network
37. Secretary.it (Italy)
38. SHRM
39. SHRMA
40. South Hampshire PA Network
41. The Executive Assistants Network
42. The PA Exchange
43. VIP VA