Let’s get this conversation out of the way first:
- You: “Umm … volunteerism? I thought this blog was about engineering.”
- Me: “It is. This is about using your engineering skills outside of work to further your career and better your community.”
- You: “Ah, nifty. Please continue.”
- Me: “Nifty? How old are you?”
I realize that you’re leading a busy life and it’s difficult to peel away from your schedule to give time to others. However, volunteering in your community, especially in a capacity where you utilize your engineering skills, can be invaluable to your career. You’ll grow your network, advance your career, and even get a great feeling from making the world a better place.
Volunteerism Develops Networks
As an engineer and self-proclaimed introvert (apparently my Myers-Briggs type means I’m like Batman, but with a keyboard instead of a cool utility belt … and sometimes a jar of pickles with a stuck lid can defeat me), I seemed to network only with my work peers and maybe a few friends outside of work. This seems to be a pretty typical situation for many engineers.
Volunteering, however, will put you in contact with a wide variety of people from all walks of life. Through these new connections you might find a new job, a new hobby, a new love interest, or simple – but not to be overlooked – a new friend.
Having been involved in a couple of volunteer groups, I’ve seen all kinds of connections being generated. I made a friend who is a ghostwriter and he edited my first book while I developed his two websites. He made a friend who was politically charged and ended up becoming a part-time political speechwriter. Another friend-through-volunteerism is an accountant and has gotten two jobs through connections he made through our shared organization. And two friends, one coming off a divorce and another coming off the loss of his spouse to cancer, met, married, and mended their broken hearts.
As for me, my experience in volunteerism has resulted in a couple of job offers (although I didn’t take them), over a dozen paid speaking gigs, a new business project I’m developing with two other people, this blog with Cliff, and, of course, the aforementioned book editing.
Volunteering brings people together and builds connections in ways that homogenous work environments cannot achieve.
Volunteerism Enhances Leadership Skills
You face a number of challenges when attempting to advance into a leadership position at work:
- Limited opportunities for advancement
- Intense competition from coworkers
- Lack of a company progression plan
and more.
What’s more, as an engineer, you have probably been far more focused on developing your technical skills than on developing your leadership skills. Personally, I think this is why we see so many non-engineers in leadership positions at engineering companies. Business majors focus on leadership while we engineers focus on the technical aspects of getting the job done.
These factors add up to difficult challenges for an engineer who’s looking to break into leadership.
Unlike your workplace, volunteer organizations are always looking for new leaders. People join organizations, volunteer for a while, and then wander away. This churn causes a continual need for leaders at all levels of organizations. Showing an interest in volunteer leadership – any interest – will likely get you a project and then quickly into a role with a title.
Volunteer Leadership Isn’t Easy
Now, just because they need leaders doesn’t mean it’s an easy job. While it will certainly be a rewarding experience, it will likely be equally challenging. Leading volunteers is a whole different level of challenge. A few weeks ago, I wrote about project management being similar to herding ducks. Volunteer leadership is often like herding squirrels. On a moment’s notice, some new, shiny object or interest will catch someone’s interest and your team begins to evaporate. Push too hard, and they simply scurry away.
Volunteer leadership is also forgiving. If you mess up, you’re likely to get encouraged to try again by someone who’s been in your shoes before. This learning by doing approach, along with mentoring from past leaders, jump-starts a leadership journey.
As a bonus, if you can herd squirrels, imagine how much easier ducks and even paid employees will be to lead!
Volunteerism Feels Great
A big part of volunteering is loving what you’re doing. I’ve been asked to donate my time to many worthwhile causes. I’ve spoken to some groups, packed food boxes for others, and even answered donation hotlines for a couple. However, the ones I really dug into and really enjoyed were those where I had a passion for the organization and what they were doing.
As an engineer, you bring a lot of unique talents to any group lucky enough to get your volunteer time. You should probably expect that the first thing you’ll be asked is, “Can you help me with our computer?” Depending on the particular non-profit organization, you’ll be able to use many of your engineering skills as you move forward. For example:
- Zoos and food bank farms could use a civil engineer
- Americorps and Habitat for Humanity could use construction engineers
- Student robotic teams could use mechanical and electrical engineers
- Any organization with a computer (that’s all of them, by the way) could use a computer engineer
Final Takeaway
I reflected on volunteerism today because about a week ago I ended a two-year term on the Board of Directors for Toastmasters International. I’ve been a member of the organization for 14 years and have been in some level of leadership for 12 of them.
I joined to help myself develop communication skills in the office. As I got into the program, though, I quickly learned that getting involved in leadership opened a lot of doors for me. And yes, the first time I was asked to get into leadership was when a member said, “Hey, I bet you’re pretty good with computers. Would you help with our schedule and communications?”
Although Toastmasters functions as an educational organization, not a volunteer organization, getting involved in leadership is a voluntary action. And volunteering my time to help and eventually lead other members of our organization has benefited me greatly outside of Toastmasters.
I attribute my last several promotions to the skills I picked up while serving in leadership positions in the organization. Of course, the communication skills helped, too. But taking my engineering skills into Toastmasters, getting noticed, being encouraged to take on leadership roles, and then pushing myself to grow in organizational leadership has furthered my career far more than simply showing up for monthly chapter meetings in industry peer groups.
During a recent interview for a promotion within my office, the senior VP interviewing me spent 70 of the 90 minutes of our interview asking me about the leadership lessons I’d learned in Toastmasters.
And it felt great.
Author: Tracy Thomason
Agile project manager by day, craft beer drinker by night, and avid reader anytime I can get 5 minutes alone with my Kindle.
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