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DISCUSSION
GROUP
What's on your mind?
Packaging Horizons
From Where I Sit
Old Clichés Still Apply
Editorial by: JoAnn R. Hines, founding executive director, Women in Pacakging, Inc.
I took a philosophy course in college that left me pondering life's most illogical turns. What is it all about? Well, I can tell you what Women in Packaging (WMPKG) is about. WMPKG is about meeting the needs of the industry. It is about outreach to members and providing membership benefits. It is about the promotion of diversity across all levels and all facets of the packaging industry. We cannot be everything to everyone, so we choose platforms that address the issues that are important to our members. Consider these points recalled from that philosophy course I mentioned.
Can you see the forest through the trees? If you opt out of renewing your membership because we don't meet your needs, will you later come to WMPKG for assistance? If you don't tell us what your needs are, how can we address them? Let us know!
If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? If you are laid off with 30 other employees, will you find another job in a reasonable amount of time? Will you need to make a career move? WMPKG can help and provide direction on this front.
I think, therefore, I am. You send me an e-mail without any identification, but surely you exist. Tell me, who you are, what are you looking for, how can I help, and how can I reach you?
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Being an active member of WMPKG is more valuable to your career than simply being familiar with the organization. The future isn't what it used to be. One of my personal 21st century philosophical favorites is a cliché recently mangled by Yogi Bera during a commencement address that still rings true. The future is career development and information. WMPKG is the now and the future. We are virtual, and we are everywhere, here and around the globe.
You get the picture, so let's skip the philosophical issues and get right to the meat of the matter. The value in WMPKG membership is the whole benefit package of the association. It is not just one isolated membership benefit.
You have to use the benefits to make membership work for you.
o Do you want career guidance/help? We provide the means to that end with PackagingCareerHotline.com. We address career development issues in our programs and events. We offer training to enhance leadership skills. This magazine's content also offers solutions.
o Do you want to network and do business with other packaging professionals? We host networking functions in all of our chapters as well as at national/regional trade shows. We encourage our members to utilize the Movers & Shakers section of the WMPKG web site to promote themselves and increase their opportunity for networking.
o Are you looking for ways to balance your career and family life? WMPKG programs address the demands of professionals.
o Have you considered branching out and starting your own wbo/minority-owned business? We maintain a list of set-asides. Our recently published directory will tell you who among our membership is a woman business owner.
o Are you interested in public speaking? The WMPKG Speakers Bureau functions as one of the industry's leading placement and referral services. The list goes on and on.
So, philosophically speaking, if you have joined Women in Packaging and take advantage of the membership benefits available, You've Got the Whole World in Your Hands. If you opt not to invest $100 into your career and profession by joining Women in Packaging, you are making your path to success a tougher row to hoe.
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