Hispanic/Latino professional associations can play a pivotal role in maximizing career opportunities for Latinos. Many organizations sponsor career centers, job postings, career fairs, professional development, mentoring, networking, professional and student chapters, scholarships, research, advocacy, profession related resources, benefits programs, and social functions. The groups often maintain strategic partnerships with employers that hire from their member's specialized career fields.
A few national organizations, like the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE), serve Latino professionals and students from all industries and often joint venture programs with other Hispanic professional groups.
Below is a sample list of industry-specific professional associations and some steps you can take to maximize the organizations' resources:
- Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA)
- Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA)
- Latinos in Social Media (LATISM)
- National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives, Inc. (NAHFE)
- National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN)
- National Association of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Social Workers (NAPRHSW)
- National Hispanic Sales Network (NHSN)
- National Latino Police Officers Association (NLPOA)
- National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA)
- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
A comprehensive list of Latino professional associations with background summaries, service listings and contact information will be added to the Latinos@Work blog.
Action Steps
- Review the organization’s website thoroughly for services and member benefits.
- Identify a chapter in your local area.
- Sign up for the group’s electronic newsletters, eList and mailing list (check privacy policies).
- Search current job postings and check out companies that support the association.
- Submit your resume to the organization’s resume database or job matching system. (Check privacy policies)
- Establish a networking relationship with appropriate staff contacts and members. Use the associations networking tools to initiate contacts with members.
- Participate in the organization’s message boards, forums and blogs for information gathering and networking.
- Attend onsite or online organization events, professional development activities and career fairs/conferences.
- Identify mentorships, student chapters, scholarships, and internships.
- Volunteer if you can.
¡BUENA SUERTE!
Posted by Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias
Principals, Global Diversity Solutions Group LLC and MulticulturalResumes.com
Authors, Barron’s The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos
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