Are you the one - the one that volunteers to help at school, in your congregation, at the community kitchen, or helping neighbors in need? Although you don’t expect anything in return for your volunteer time and efforts, what if I told you that your past and future volunteer work can actually boost your career? Well, it can. And here’s a few tips for how to work It!
How Volunteering Can Boost Your Career!
1. Avoid speaking of your volunteer positions as your doing “whatever needs to be done.” Instead, identify your key role and two or three main functions.
2. Know what you bring to the table and bring it on. Volunteer work can be a great place to showcase your skills, especially those you haven’t had the chance to use in paid positions as much as you’d like.
3. Learn something new. If your resume is missing a key skill or knowledge you need for your next career move, make it a goal to gain it from your volunteer work.
4. Treat your volunteer stint just like a paid job. Always perform to the very highest standards. Take the initiative to set your own performance goals and meet them. Dress, communicate and act like the professional you want to be.
5. Document your work. Keep a list of what you do, your accomplishments, and any training you obtain. Use this list to update your resume and to speak about in interviews during your next job search. These experiences just might increase your chances of landing a job or landing one a little sooner.
What volunteer experiences have contributed to your career? Which of these tips will you try?
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Pamela McBride is the co-author of Work It, Girl! The Black Woman’s Guide to Professional Success and The Mocha Manual to Military Life: A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends and Female Service Members. She helps women become more effective by teaching them how to use their talents, skills, and abilities to get what they want and Work It, Girl! Get in touch with Pamela on Twitter and Facebook.
