Voluntarism is such a great way to “give back” and to help improve the world around you. As you embark on furthering your causes, let’s not forget that your acts of volunteering can also impact your career.
Here are 7 ways:
- Management and Leadership Experience
- New and Different Leadership Models
- Motivation
- Organizational Effectiveness
- Networking
- Community Contribution
- Happiness
Management and Leadership Experience
When you volunteer, you broaden your management and leadership exposure. You become involved in organizations and get to observe and participate in the workings of them. You witness new and different leadership styles. You learn what works and what doesn’t work. You can learn from everything you observe, either what to do or what not to do.
New and Different Leadership Models
When you take on a volunteer leadership position, you actually gain experience managing and leading. Many times this experience is the missing piece of your career rounding, the piece that gets you “stuck.” This experience can transfer to your career. You learn planning, delegating, organizing and communicating skills. You can learn strategic planning,
Motivation
You learn how to motivate people without using the threat of a paycheck. You learn positive motivation. This is a great skill to have in the business world. When you work with non-paid volunteers, who have a choice of where and when they volunteer, you learn skills that attract and engage people in your volunteer effort. If you can motivate volunteers, you can motivate just about anyone.
Organizational Effectiveness
Volunteer groups are organizations. When you volunteer to lead one of these groups, you learn about organizational design and structure. You learn about committees and boards. You learn how to run meetings and projects. You learn how to establish backups and backup plans. All of these can apply to you business career situation as well.
Networking
Your volunteer efforts will broaden your network and contact base. With each volunteer organization you join, you will meet new people. As you broaden your contact base, you broaden you experience and your center of influence. This can be beneficial to you and your employer. Many of the people you work with can also be influential. Either in your career or in your volunteer efforts. You will have these contacts for the rest of your life.
Community Contribution
And importantly, as with most volunteer work, you will help your community. This should be the sincere reason that you do volunteer. The world needs volunteers, and because and as a result of your efforts you will grow as your community grows.
Happiness
People who give to others have a tendency to be happier than those who don’t. When you do for others, your happy juices increase. What can be better than that???
