By Pete Radloff

It’s the end of 2013, and as is customary with December, it’s a time for us to reflect back on the previous year. 2013 was a great year for me professionally and it was also a tremendous year for recruitDC. But recruitDC took on a new, deeper meaning for me this year.

I’m often asked why I participate in recruitDC and what the benefit is for me. It’s never an easy answer, mostly because there are so many reasons I’m lucky and proud to be associated with such a great organization. It’s great for networking, and learning, as well as getting to meet those people that you “only know through LinkedIn”. Earlier in my career, I always hoped I’d get to a point where I didn’t need to put my resume on a dozen job boards, or have to apply to a number of companies that I didn’t necessarily know too much about. I wanted to reach a point where I’d built up a strong enough network to be able to reach out to some key contacts and get introduced to some amazing opportunities. This year was finally the year that all came to fruition.

I was laid off in the summer, and as with anyone going through this, panic is usually the first feeling that sets in. That’s often followed by more panic action, lots and lots of action to keep the pipeline flowing and increase the number of opportunities available to you. With the network I had built over the years, through my past jobs and groups like Project SAVE and recruitDC I was able to get some great leads on opportunities, and wound up landing on my feet. (Yes, there is more to it, but grab me for a beer after the next event and we’ll talk)

So when someone who hasn’t heard of recruitDC or is new to the group asks me what the benefits are, here’s what I tell them:

• You’ll learn.  A LOT. You’ll get insight and best practices from some of the best folks in the Talent Acquisition field. We’re able to bring in speakers and practitioners from all over the country.
• You can sell it to your boss. It won’t cost you $5000 to attend recruitDC. It’s local, you’ll be back the same day or the next day, and you don’t have to crush your department budget to get some professional development.
• You can start implementing right away. What you learn at recruitDC, you can put into practice right away, and start improving how your organization approaches talent immediately.
• You’ll meet great colleagues. recruitDC gives you plenty of time to mix and mingle, share best practices, and get to know others who can help you along the way in your career.
• You can build your reputation. By attending events, meetups and mini-sessions, you’ll be able to share your expertise that you’ve acquired over the years. Since we’re a grassroots organization, we’re always looking to promote our own local superstars.
• Opportunities to “Pay It Forward”. I was fortunate to have some tremendous talent surrounding me early in my career, and probably one of the best mentors I could have ever asked for. recruitDC provides a nurturing culture for people to seek out those who can help them get to the next level. There’s no substitute for great people looking out for your career.

There’s probably a dozen other reasons that I could share, but we’ve all got holiday cookies to attend to, guard, hoard, enjoy. so if you haven’t been active in recruitDC this year, I strongly encourage you to come on out and spend some time with us in 2014. And grab me to have that beer….I love to geek out on some recruiting talk.

Pete Radloff is a member of the recruitDC Board of Directors, and a recruitment consultant with NPR and exaqueo. You can connect with Pete on LinkedIn and on Twitter