Mapping Success: 5 Advantages of Joining Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN)
Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN) was created to support a community of professionals and students pursuing a GIS career. We provide opportunities to help young pros grow their network, find mentors, build their soft and technical skills, and provide resources to flourish and further develop your career path.
Whether you're a freshman in college, graduate student, new to a GIS career, or a seasoned GIS professional, Esri YPN is for everyone! YPN members learn about the power of location technology, connect with like-minded peers and industry experts, and gain leadership experience that can advance their careers.
Here are five ways of how joining Esri YPN can enhance your GIS journey.
1) Networking Opportunities
The saying really is true, "it's about who you know." Networking at conferences, socials, mixers, and other industry events can lead to life changing opportunities and open doors.
Esri YPN creates networking opportunities by hosting bi-annual virtual networking meetups, YPN regional chapter meetups, socials at conferences like the Esri User Conference (UC), Federal GIS Conference (FedGIS), and the American Association of Geographers (AAG).
Stay in the loop for upcoming networking opportunities by:
- Joining YPN to receive newsletter updates on upcoming events that gives you the opportunity to meet peers in your field of expertise, network with industry leaders, and expand your professional network.
- Joining a local YPN regional chapter
- Become a YPN Ambassador to engage with peers online and in-person
2) Knowledge Sharing
As you progress in your studies and in your career path, you need a space to share knowledge whether it’s industry trends, research papers, best practices, training opportunities, and more.
YPN Esri provides a space for knowledge sharing through:
- YPN Esri Community space. Create a post in the Networking space, ask a question, or connect with a potential mentor all in the YPN Esri Community space. Subscribe to YPN Esri Community.
- YPN LinkedIn group. Join the private YPN LinkedIn Group where our members share their GIS projects, open positions, latest trends, upcoming events, and more. Request to join the group.
- Webinars. Attend our bi-annual webinars focused on subjects around marketing yourself, standing out from the crowd, career advice, and mentoring opportunities. Visit the YPN events page.
3) Peer Support
Engaging with a community of peers allows you to share experiences, challenges, and successes. This sense of community can provide emotional support and reduce feelings of isolation.
When you join YPN, you’re joining a community and network that gives you an opportunity to meet with peers to lean on for support.
These are ways to gain peer support through joining YPN.
- Attend an Esri conference through the Esri YPN discounted rate such as the Esri User Conference, Federal GIS conference, and Esri Developers Summit.
- Attend a YPN chapter meetup. Each chapter hosts two in person meetups a year. Sometimes more! There are seven regional chapter locations across the US such as Redlands, Denver, Philadelphia, DC, and more. Join a YPN chapter near you.
- Attend YPN's bi-annual virtual networking meetup where you will be placed in break out rooms to practice your networking skills and meet people from around the world. Visit the YPN events page.
- Ask a question in the YPN Esri Community Questions space.
4) Access to Resources
As YPN member, you get access to resources on career advice, training opportunities, Esri internships and assistantships, professional development, networking tips, and more.
Here are resources we regularly point to after joining the network
- YPN blog with topics on resume best practices, student associations, internship experiences, and more
- Esri student programs
- How to Leverage Social Media to Enhance Your Geospatial Career ebook
- Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)
- Other young professional organizations
- Faces of YPN
5) Member Badge & Digital Swag
All who join Esri YPN get an email linking to your Esri YPN Member badge and digital swag such as social media images and Zoom/Teams backgrounds. You can also request your member badge here.
Sport your member badge on your email signature and share with your social network to show you’re proactive in growing your network and connecting with your GIS community. Read this blog More than Just a Badge: What an Esri YPN Member Badge Can Say about You.
There you have it, five benefits in joining YPN and how you can leverage this network as you navigate through your GIS journey.
It's no cost to join Esri YPN, simply just fill out this form.