Young Professional Careers: Service Accelerates Skill
The Second C: Community
This is the second of a three-part series examining the Three Cs: Career, Community and Caring for ourselves and others. To read the first part of the series, click here.
In the first post in this series, I discussed the importance of being intentional about the choices we make when it comes to our work, especially for young professionals just starting out. But making sure you are being intentional with your career growth is only a third of the equation to creating not only a meaningful career, but a meaningful life.
Most young professionals also feel called to serve their Community. In “Millennial Fundraising: Why this Generation Cares about Giving,” Sara Flis writes “Today, 76.2 million millennials live in the U.S. and 84 percent of them contribute to charities, more than other generations. Millennials give an average of $481 annually. Based on that, millennial fundraising totals more than $30 billion.” Flis asserts, and I agree, that this personal philanthropy isn’t the only indicator of millennial commitment to community. They want to work for companies with active CSR and volunteer programs. They want to buy brands that support their favorite cause. Many of their consumer and personal choices are largely driven by conscience.
Embracing an integrated view of community with life overall is one of the greatest lessons the “rest” of us can learn from millennials and young professionals. They don’t see community as something to participate in after the workday is through. It permeates.
Young professionals are teaching us that community engagement is not mutually exclusive from career growth. I agree. My experience is that true community leadership is never compartmentalized. Business people serve their communities for many reasons, and not just out of their desire to be altruistic. Here are three things to consider when looking to integrate more community service into your life:
Service Accelerates Skill. If you are someone who enjoys creating lasting impact in the world, look for ways to serve that will also help your career. For example, serving on a Board of Directors, or any volunteer role within a nonprofit, is an excellent way to build contacts and build skill sets. A few years back, I mentored “Keisha” who had around 4 years of experience in her chosen field, and was ready to take her career to the next level. She identified a Management position that interested her, but it required budget experience that she didn’t have. Catch 22: she didn’t have the skills she needed to get the next job, but her current job didn’t offer the opportunity to develop the skills. And “training” wasn’t enough. We talked about her personal interests, and it turned out she had a beloved nephew who had just been diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. She was eager to learn more about it and support the cause. So … one thing lead to another and she ended up joining the finance committee for her local Juvenile Diabetes Association. They were happy to have her smart, eager presence, even if she didn’t have a ton of experience … which she quickly gained by serving on the committee. After two years of helping JDA manage a large budget, guess what? She put it on her resume and got the next Managerial job she applied for. She won, JDA won, her new employer won. Win. Win. Win.
A.J. Bingham is a lobbyist and Founder/CEO of The Bingham Group. He encourages young professionals to develop through service:
“Community work allowed me to establish an early reputation for reliability and leadership,” says A.J.. “I took on responsibilities which would have taken me years to earn in an office environment.”
Start Where You Are. You do not have to work for a nonprofit to serve the community through your job. For-profit organizations are increasingly embracing the concept of giving back, especially those who want to recruit and retain the valued millennial workforce. Why not establish a give back or volunteer program in your organization, or join the existing one? Mentorship and volunteering your expertise on the job through something like a career fair are typically great ways to give back to the community and bolster professional skills, as in #1 above. See my previous post on Career for more, including several organizations that can help you make the connection.
Good Community Is Good Business. I can’t even remember the last time I went to a “networking” event, and not just because of COVID. Ugh – who wants to mill around with strangers and feign interest and trade business cards only to forget everything about each other before we make it to the parking lot? So, what do I do instead? I go to nonprofit Board meetings, committee meetings, roll up my sleeves and swing a hammer, or stock the food pantry shelves. I go to fundraisers, both virtual and actual, and I volunteer my time giving workshops for young professionals to raise money for their many worthy causes. (The next one benefits the Austin Young Chamber Foundation. Their website boasts: “Career Driven. Community Focused.” Case in point.) And guess what? At every turn I am side by side with like-minded people who share my values. I get to know them on a human level, not just a “so what do YOU do?” level. These are just the types of people I want to do business with when I have a need. And if they’re not the right person they are usually a trusted source for someone who is. Pixie Gray is a Human Experience Advocate in Austin, Texas, who exemplifies this. She writes:
"By joining the ranks of community-minded professionals, I have built a personal community of change-makers, influencers, and leaders who know me, know my heart, and have my back — personally and professionally. Fortunately for me, those after-work networking events are a thing of the past and I can spend that time doing something meaningful for my community instead, and still reap the benefits of both."
So, think high leverage: just because you are contributing your time and talents to a cause does not mean you aren’t building your professional network at the same time. Nonprofit volunteers come from all walks of life and all stages in a career. It’s an excellent way to cross paths with individuals in different industries or fields that you never would otherwise meet. And what happens? You serve, you meet people, you do business with the people you serve with, and they do business with you. Win. Win. Win.
Anyway, you get it.
Please will you comment below with your story of how your community and career intersect?