It's been an insane past few weeks for the credit union industry – and the country.

On the heels of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma came Maria, which was so devastating to Puerto Rico that it took days of eerie silence before its residents even had the means to communicate information about the island's condition. The slow rate at which aid arrived to Puerto Rico raised questions about the quality of our disaster preparedness plans (but that's another story for another time).

In Washington, the NCUA board voted to merge its corporate stabilization fund and Share Insurance Fund, as well as increase the agency's Normal Operating Level, leaving some credit union leaders thrilled about a potential rebate next year yet unhappy with the NOL increase.

Then, just after the Equifax breach rocked our worlds, and not in a good way, news of two more breaches came our way – one at SONIC Drive-In and one at Whole Foods – reminding credit unions yet again to make cybersecurity strategy a priority.

And on Oct. 1, we received news of the massacre in Las Vegas. There are no words to describe the severity of this tragedy, but one thought does come to mind: It's not time to have a conversation about gun control, it's way past time. Rather, it's too late to be having that conversation (again, another story for another time).

Since I spend much of my time in my home office digesting intense news stories such as these, it's important for me to choose off-time activities that are distracting and light, yet enriching. So over these past few weeks, I've been venturing out in my city to fine-tune a valuable skill: Networking. As a member of three local networking groups, a college alumni group and a co-working group for people with remote jobs, my calendar has been packed with events. And along the way, I've gotten to know credit union industry professionals from throughout the Northwest. To lighten the mood a bit from the latest headlines, I bring you a few (hopefully useful) observations from my recent outings.

Keep planting seeds – they may grow later. Networking is a slow and steady race. You can't go to one event and expect to meet someone who will give you exactly what you're looking for professionally in one night. But it's important to keep putting yourself out there and connecting. Someone who doesn't need your help right now could need it a year from now. Case in point: I began putting feelers out this past month for some part-time freelance work, and soon after, I heard from a company I connected with a year ago about a potential assignment. I believe if you put a reasonable request out into the universe, it'll circle back when the time is right.

Enthusiastic millennials are everywhere – you just have to catch them. At one networking event, I made a connection that led to a coffee meeting with an energetic millennial who works in business development for a local credit union. Naturally, I asked her, “Are credit unions doing a good job of attracting millennials? Do they even know what credit unions are?” Her consensus: No, they still don't know what credit unions are. But once millennials understand their mission and values, they're all over them. The key is to keep educating millennials about what you do, because once they know, there's a slim chance you'll be rejected.

That applies to recruiting, too. There are enthusiastic millennial job seekers everywhere, but unfortunately they may not think to look into a credit union position. Spread the word that your workplace culture is just as cool as that tech startup's, and let young job candidates know they'll make a difference in people's lives by working for a credit union – and that they may find future opportunities at other credit unions. Which brings me to the next observation …

Credit unions are in it together. I asked my new millennial credit union friend what she thought of multiple credit unions opening new branches in the Portland, Ore., area. Did she fear losing members to other credit unions? Not at all, she replied. Her main objective is to get more consumers into the credit union system, and into a credit union that best meets their needs. What's most important, she said, is getting them away from the banks. Right on.

No networking objective? No problem. You don't need to come up with a specific career-related goal to succeed at networking. You may come up with a new goal just through talking with people. And even if you're fully happy in your current job and feel you don't need to network, remember every situation in life is temporary. It never hurts to expand your network and improve your skills to prepare for inevitable changes down the road. You'll also meet people who can fulfill needs that are not work-related. For example, at one event, I bumped into an old friend from college whom I hadn't talked to in a while, and we've since rebuilt a friendship. At another, I hit it off with a local realtor who began sending me local condo listings in case I choose to take the home-buying route.

Just be clear with people about whether your reason for connecting with them is professional or personal. You might end up giving someone your card in the hopes of hearing from them about a potential business opportunity and receive a voicemail from them the next day asking you out on a much-unwanted date, leaving you in the awkward position of turning them down and hoping you won't run into them at a future event. I learned this lesson the hard way last week (insert three laughing face emojis here). 

The credit union industry is only as strong as the people who work in it, so I would recommend all CU professionals get out from behind their desks and mobile devices and out into the real world to network, whether their goal is to bring new talent back to their credit unions or to enrich their own lives.

Given how crazy and out of control the world has become, it's important to invest time in something you can control – your own personal growth and self-improvement. 

Natasha Chilingerian is managing editor for CU Times. She can be reached at [email protected].