Spokane Society of Young Professionals

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In Search of Young Professionals

Journal of Business - May 29, 2008

By Emily Proffitt

Employers face boomer retirements, recruit in California

Last month, representatives from Greater Spokane Incorporated and several Spokane-area companies traveled to Southern California looking to strike it rich. But unlike the gold rush of the 1800s, they were mining for workers, not precious metals.

In anticipation of the coming wave of baby boomer retirements, companies here say they’re searching here and in other markets such as Los Angeles for employees to fill expected gaps in their work forces. One of the demographics they’re particularly seeking to attract and retain is what Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI) calls the Emerging Professional group, which includes much-coveted young adults up to 25 years old.

Spokane-area businesses say they want to find and groom young workers to assume greater leadership responsibilities after the boomers retire. One of the obstacles standing in their way, however, are companies in larger metropolitan areas such as Seattle that beckon college graduates away with the lure of higher salaries and big-city life.

What Works for Us - Spokane Society of Young Professionals

Inland Business Catalyst - March/April 2008

It’s important to have a solid professional network both within and outside your industry. “You never know who you’ll need to call on or what type of help you may be asking for, so it’s best that your network spreads far and wide,” says Communications Chair Bethany Luck-Hutson. “Make sure you never burn bridges. Spokane is a tight-knit community. You’ve got to use that to your advantage, not your detriment.” The Spokane Society of Young Professionals is a networking organization without an age limit... it’s all about youthful energy. Here’s what has worked for us when it comes to networking.

The Importance of Young Professionals

Inland Business Catalyst - May/June 2007
By SSYP Board Member Bethany Luck-Hutson

I recently met a gentleman in his early 30s whose company had just transferred him from Seattle to Spokane. He told me that initially he was disappointed by the transfer. But once he got to here and started to discover all that Spokane has to offer, he was pleased with the change.

For young professionals, it is vitally important to live in a city with an excellent quality of life – great restaurants, exciting nightlife, arts and cultural experiences, good shopping, recreational opportunities, diversity. They want to live somewhere safe with good schools where they can settle down one day and raise a family.

Young, talented professionals bring a lot of talent to the table and they want to be compensated for it and feel appreciated for it by the organizations that employ them. Young professionals want to work in an environment that is encouraging, supportive and that does not stifle creativity. The young professional wants to feel valued.

Young professionals make positive connections

Spokesman-Review - November 28, 2006

Spokane 's young professionals have hit the terrible twos, but all is well

An organizer of the Spokane Society for Young Professionals says participation continues to increase, and the group has expanded its activities beyond just networking. Informal "Beer With" gatherings have included meetings with Spokane Mayor Dennis Hession, Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wa., and Sterling Financial Corp. Chairman Harold Gilkey.SSYP has also held a drive to collect professional clothing for job-seekers who want to make a good impression. The society has begun talks with the Shriners regarding arts and crafts projects for patients, and helping with the 2007 National Junior Disability Championships set for Spokane in July.

Young get down to business

Spokesman-Review - November 11, 2004

Young Professionals group seeks to make better connections

A week ago, Spokane advertising director Dennis Magner spent a tough afternoon fighting to keep awake during a dull business meeting with others in his line of work.

After it ended, the 38-year-old Magner walked over to the Catacombs, a downtown Spokane restaurant, to drop in on a meeting he'd been invited to attend.

What he found were more than 100 other Spokane people, ranging in age from their young 20s to their 40s. All of them had received e-mail invitations that week to the first meeting of the Spokane Society of Young Professionals, a networking group looking to build more links between young workers in a community that has generally left them to their own devices.

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