It’s the dog days of summer, my favorite time of the year. Yes, it’s hot, and here in DC, it’s ridiculously humid, but there’s an out-of-time quality to summer that I’ve always loved. Work continues, but we also go on vacation, our kids’ schedules let up, and we take the occasional hour or two off to go to the ballpark or a rooftop happy hour. I rest my case.

Summer is also a time when you may have a few fresh faces around your office—young people home from college or between graduate school semesters who are dipping their toes into the pool of the association management profession. We often think of offering internships as a form of service, and indeed it is (as the mom of two interning students, I’m a huge fan), but internships also give us a preview of the next wave of workforce talent. This is our first chance to showcase associations as a vibrant sector of the economy where young people should consider making a career.

As Gayle Bennett reports in this issue, associations are fully engaged in the great talent chase as the economy continues its long job-creation run. They are filling current roles,
of course, but half of the associations in a recent survey said they will add new positions this year. That means a lot of opportunity in our sector, whether a job seeker is just starting out or climbing to the C-suite.

Gayle’s story (page 54) highlights what a few associations are doing to attract the talent they need. And this month, ASAE debuts Association CareerHQ (www.associationcareerhq.org), where you can post and search jobs but also tap career and talent management resources, video content, and an advice blog. Whether you’re looking to build your association team or join a new one, don’t let your summer wind down without taking a look.

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