San Diego Post Young Members

Post Young Members

Benefits of Being a Young Member

It might seem insignificant now, but active networking and professional development early in your career can pay huge dividends in your long-term success. Benefits of being a young member include:

Free Education and Training – SAME provides reimbursements for costs associated with credentialing, exam sitting fees, and certification. SAME National holds monthly webinars that, along with certain Post events, qualify as Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits towards existing certifications. You also have access to a number of other free and reduced-rate continuing education opportunities.

Professional Development – In addition to formal education opportunities, active participation helps develop confidence in networking with other professionals and the soft interpersonal skills that are invaluable to your career. There are also opportunities to serve on committees or the Board at both the Post and National level that help cultivate leadership skills and provide networking opportunities. Contact a Board member if you are interested in serving in any of these positions. 

Mentorship – Engaging with seasoned Post members provides opportunities to learn from those more advanced in their career or those with particular skills or insight that you might not be exposed to in your organization.

Networking and Opportunity Exposure – Actively engaging with the Post and SAME National will expose you to professionals in the field who could be potential clients, consultants, teaming partners, or even eventual employers.  Establishing these relationships is an investment that starts small and grows over time, and builds through personal interaction on a monthly and yearly basis.

Community Outreach – Post events include community outreach (e.g., beach clean-ups, volunteering at food banks, etc.). In addition, SAME National hosts week long Engineering Camps for high schoolers at military installations around the country where you have the opportunity to have both a positive influence on future engineers and develop strong connections with fellow volunteers who are also colleagues in both the public and private sector. Learn more about STEM Engineering and Construction Camp.

Reduced Rates – As a Young Member, you receive reduced rates to Post-level and SAME National events (e.g., Small Business Conference, JETC, etc.), and opportunities to receive stipends to attend national level events.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Carly Scott if you have questions on the Young Member group or the benefits it affords you, if you are looking to volunteer or get more involved in the Post beyond attending events or taking advantage of the educational and networking opportunities afforded, or have questions on anything SAME related.

Tips On Convincing Your Employer to Give You Time To Get Involved

Need help convincing your employer to give you the time to attend events or get more involved? Correctly framing your approach is key to get the backing you need to grow your career. Consider the below talking points: 

• Investing in your technical development, interpersonal skills, and networking abilities at an early age will have spillover benefits to your company. This helps develop intangible leadership skills that build over time. 
• Meeting marketing and business development colleagues at events helps develop actual face-to-face relationships that can lead to future work opportunities.
  Attending events helps gain valuable information on future projects and contracts. Specifically, you are able to gain insight into the changing marketplace and customer’s needs. 
• Attending local events, national conferences, and general involvement in the Post helps promote your company. Typically people will remember you and want to work with you which in turn “brings” your company along too.

If you are still running into issues with getting the time or backing to attend events or increase your involvement, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Young Member chair. 

Young Member Event History

The San Diego SAME Young Members are an active and growing group. Here is a sample of some of the events we have participated in over the past year. We hold similar events monthly throughout the year. Join today to get involved.

Check out our Instagram for photos from our Young Member events!