Volunteer: It's your Career

Volunteering has two sides:  Doing it ... and enticing others to do it.  For those who have already volunteered in many roles, the next step is encouraging others to follow suit.

I am pleased to refer to my colleague Cindy Romaine's blog post at http://testingintelligence.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/a-new-era-of-service/ where she explains her reasons for running for elected office in the Special Libraries Association.  The associated comments on her post support the volunteering spirit of "pay it forward".

Readers of my blog are familiar with my views on volunteering.  For newer readers and for those who may be counseling new professionals, let me emphasize the "what's not to love" part:

• You will have someone to guide you - say, a previous committee chair or a unit leader.  But if you don't for any reason - you have the freedom to move in new directions!

• You get to tackle typical or unforeseen projects.  (Recent example of the latter:  Too many signed up for an event - how can we accommodate the wait list in a second session - and what about the ones who can't make the second date?)

• You get to be in front of people who can put in a good word as references and of potential future employers.

• You get to strut your stuff comfortably until you are ready to take on a solo role.  Serving on a committee before you take on chairing one is a good way to begin.

• You get to put your accomplishments on your resume.

Volunteering is a stellar opportunity to grow professionally and to gain visibility.  Indeed, what is not to love?

Comments

[John Crowell]

As a volunteer board member who was recently tasked to recruit additional directors, here are a few (similar) reasons that I use to “entice others to do it”:

Cultivate new skills – volunteering on a committee or board is a great way to learn about strategic thinking, group dynamics and teamwork. Planning a fundraising event can develop goal setting, change management and budgeting skills. Supervising and training other volunteers can help develop supervisory and conflict resolution skills.

Networking – develop personal and professional relationships, hear about job openings, gather insider employment information and develop great references.

Demonstrates Initiative – volunteering shows workplace, management, customer service, and leadership skills that can be documented in a resume.

Always Learn Something New – You will learn about your community, about trends and issues, and about people and resources.

No Excuses – There are so many options for being involved in your community, through professional associations, neighborhood organizations, arts and social service organizations.