Most professional careers are marked with several inflection points. These are points where individuals discover strengths to be amplified, weaknesses to be shored up, and purposes to be unlocked. As staff members of the African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC), we have the pleasure of supporting our members through their inflection points by providing them with scholarships and educational opportunities that foster development and career growth.

Like our members, we too have encountered transformative inflection points. An inflection point we share is serving as Crash the GAC delegates. For the last 16 years, America’s Credit Unions (ACU) and The Filene Cooperative Trust have selected young credit union professionals to Crash the GAC. The objective of the Crash the GAC program is to deepen the commitment of emerging credit union professionals to the credit union movement by connecting them to current credit union leaders.

While we “crashed” the GAC in different years and at different points in our professional careers, our goals for participating in the program were strikingly similar. We each had an ardent desire to develop a greater understanding of the credit union industry, to engage in the credit union industry’s evolution, and to advance our professional careers within the credit union movement. We accomplished these goals and returned to our organizations with renewed energy and ideas to make our organizations more robust and impactful. Our Crasher experiences also led to significant professional growth, including job promotions, the development of a strong network, and new mentor relationships.

Below are a few of the lessons we learned as Crashers.

Meaningful connections are valuable.

Despite being social people, the magnitude of the GAC was intimidating to each of us. Many of the conference attendees were not only professionals in the credit union industry but also leaders with a great deal of influence in their respective organizations. Being a Crasher forced us out of our comfort zones and led us to engage with individuals we would never have encountered. We quickly realized that regardless of their position of authority, the conference attendees were all humans working toward a shared goal—a stronger credit union industry. We found that by approaching each conversation to meet new people, understand new perspectives, and to make a difference, we made meaningful connections.

There are several career paths within the credit union movement.

While we came into our respective Crasher cohorts with an idea of where we wanted our careers to go, we left our cohorts with new objectives for our careers within the credit union movement. Our respective shifts demonstrate the importance of applying for opportunities, attending events, and engaging people who do the work you believe you want to do. You may learn from your interactions with branch managers or CEOs that your track isn't to be a branch manager or a CEO, but a human resources professional who offers support for employees or a compliance specialist who ensures the credit union adheres to federal and state regulations. Credit unions are robust with opportunities and the more credit union staff you are exposed to, the more likely you are to identify a career path that appeals to your unique skill set.

Credit unions and credit union organizations are making positive change.

We joined our Crasher cohort knowing how impactful our organizations were to our communities, but as Crashers we learned that credit unions and credit union organizations were making positive changes in communities across the globe. Whether through savings plans, financial literacy workshops, new homebuyer programs, or charitable contributions—credit unions were a beacon of hope for their members and communities. Hearing about the innovative ways credit unions are working to make life better for so many individuals was truly inspirational and led us to implement some of these ideas at our respective organizations.

While the Crash the GAC program was extremely beneficial to our careers, we recognize that every credit union professional can’t be a Crasher. However, we do encourage credit union professionals to seek out enrichment programs and events. Our organization, AACUC, and many other credit union organizations have phenomenal programs and conferences that are sure to leave you uplifted and motivated. The invaluable lessons learned, and connections made by participating in programs and conferences not only benefit individuals but can enhance the organizations the individuals work in and positively affect the communities they serve.

Co-authors: Tre'Vaughn Allen and Esperanza Poblano 

Original article available here.