How to Start a Young Professionals Affinity Group

How to incorporate young professionals into your board.

A Young Professionals Group will provide a number of benefits to your chapter:

• Bring fresh perspectives and new ideas.
• Boost awareness of RMA among your member institutions.
• Expand the volunteer leadership pool.
• Increase the number of Associate memberships.
• Improve attendance at general membership meetings. 

YPs will benefit from their RMA national and local relationships, gaining:

• Increased access to tools and information about the financial services industry.
• The opportunity to build relationships with people who can help them in their careers.
• The chance to learn marketable skills and build valuable knowledge.
• Leadership opportunities that might be unavailable to them in their present job functions.
• Increased access to education and training.
• A path toward personal and professional growth.
• A more comfortable environment in which to learn and practice networking skills.

How to get started (refer to pp. 5–6 of the YP Affinity Group Toolbox):

• Start with the goal/mission in your mind of getting young professionals involved in RMA. RMA Young Professionals is an affinity group of your RMA chapter. The goal is to inform up-and-coming financial professionals of the benefits of membership in RMA and to promote their membership, involvement, and participation in chapters and boards.
• Many RMA chapters have already launched a successful Young Professionals Affinity Group. Plenty of information is available on program ideas and success stories from other groups. In addition, RMA also holds two annual teleconferences that allow these affinity group leaders to network and exchange ideas. Ask your Regional Manager for information or look on the RMA Web site. In addition, the YP Forum is now available. Use this tool to ask questions and share ideas. The forum can be accessed from the Chapters section of the RMA HQ website or by using the following link: http://www.rmahq.org/Forum/
• Select a chapter board member to spearhead the committee. Have the board member select a group to participate in the committee. While the entire board must be involved in this initiative, members of the committee can be from outside the board. Board members may be able to suggest young individuals from their institutions who would be willing to serve and, more importantly, to participate actively. Keep in mind that the link between the RMA chapter and the Young Professionals Affinity Group is critical.
• Use your Senior Associates to promote your YP Affinity Group at their institutions. Having a Senior Associate show support for your programs not only ensures success for the group, but is a sign of support for the career development of young professionals. 
• Get others involved and hold an organizational meeting. Contact the committee members to explain the chapter’s goals and plans and to confirm their interest in being part of this committee. At the first organizational meeting, have a brainstorming session on how your chapter can increase awareness of RMA among young professionals. Submit your plan to the board at the next meeting and move forward!
• Offer a chapter-sponsored kick-off event. Your first event is important as an icebreaker and a get-to-know-RMA event. The chapter could sponsor this as a free event for young professionals. An RMA Regional Executive may be able to assist in planning the meeting and supplying the materials. Ask the chapter president, membership chair, or another board member to highlight the benefits of RMA membership and present an overview of chapter programs and activities. If possible, arrange to have one or two senior bankers talk about what their involvement in RMA has done for them.
• Plan carefully for your first kick-off event. Be sure you have the necessary RMA introductory information and Associate application forms from HQ, and assure that everyone benefits from the networking aspects of this event as well. Use nametags and icebreakers as a way to get people involved. Advertise your event in the local paper or business publication to try and increase attendance. Post information about your organization on local Web sites or your company’s intranet. Use calling trees, assigning a few banks to each committee member. Have them reach out and give details on the event along with a “You're coming, right?”
• Go for some free local publicity. Remember, you’ve got a good story to tell. Send out a notice or pitch letter to your local media, both print and broadcast (radio and TV), giving them the details on your next meeting and inviting them to do a story about the new Young Professionals Affinity Group. Maybe they will be interested enough to send a reporter or photographer to your meeting.
• Plan subsequent Young Professionals events with relevant topics. Young professionals are interested in career, networking, and industry issues. Don’t overlook special training opportunities such as a “Lending To…” course or seminar.
• Keep board members involved. Make sure chapter board members make every effort to attend Young Professionals events to show support. Take the opportunity to talk about the chapter and invite the participants to attend all events. Also be sure to ask the board members to identify and invite young professionals within their organizations to attend meetings. Personal invitations are often flattering, and individuals might feel more pressure to attend events.
• Diversify your potential pool of attendees. Young Professionals groups should include rising young professionals in the credit and lending areas. These individuals are in the process of building a network. The people they meet now could potentially be the decision makers in five to 10 years. Diversify the ranks as much as possible. Many groups also include other financial services professionals.  Find out if your city has a Young Attorneys Group, Young Insurance Group, Young CPA Group, or other possible sources to tap. The young professional is in high demand these days!
• Keep the YPs informed and involved in all RMA chapter activities. Include the young professionals on your mailings for all upcoming chapter activities, including educational events and programs.  RMA education and training programs are a perfect fit for these new up-and-coming credit, lending, and risk professionals. 
• Groom the Young Professionals Group leadership for chapter leadership roles. Provide a career path. Young Professionals Committee members should see that their efforts could lead to positions of leadership and greater responsibility at the chapter level. Make sure the Young Professionals Chair reports to the chapter board. Consider inviting other Young Professional Committee members to board meetings to encourage involvement at the chapter level. This will also help them understand how the chapter functions.
• Board members should stay involved. It’s important for board members at the chapter level to stay involved and help coordinate events between the Young Professionals Group and the chapter.
• Recognize your young professionals and their successes. Recognition at events is essential for continued involvement of YPs, as is recognition within their banks.

Other Tips for Building a Young Professionals Committee
(Refer to the YP Affinity Toolbox for more great ideas):

• Build a database of young professionals in the market. All committee members should be asked to submit names and addresses of young professionals in their institutions. Credit training departments, department heads, and colleagues may be good sources. Add the names to the master chapter mailing list. Use other resources such as local managers of entry-level positions (for example, credit analyst managers), contacts at various businesses throughout your city, and other local business groups. Ask people to bring a friend and collect cards to add to your database.
• Communicate: Start a newsletter. A one-page newsletter can be an easy way to communicate with young professionals. The newsletter can extend invitations to upcoming general membership meetings and training events. RMA has a Young Professionals Newsletter template for you to use.  In addition, many chapters have a local Web site on which they post their YP events and updates.
• Host a social event. Meetings tied to a sporting event provide an informal atmosphere that might make it easier for young professionals to network. You can also hold events at a popular spot in your city where other young professionals may hang out.
• Use icebreakers. One big benefit of attending an RMA meeting is networking. Young professionals might not be comfortable with networking, and an icebreaker activity will provide a safe interaction that offers a reduced risk of rejection. Give participants an excuse to talk to each other.

Ideas for YP Programs

• A CEO or senior executive panel on career development or career strategies. 
• Networking seminars: “Getting More out of Networking,” “How to Work a Room,” etc.
• Seminars on communication, negotiation, sales, or organizational skills.
• Business or bank etiquette.
• Balancing your career with your personal life.
• Tour of a plant, company, or Federal Reserve Bank.

Think of programs that will enhance career development and avoid ones already being held by the chapter. Always try to avoid conflicts with chapter offerings.