Of all the reasons to volunteer, it’s certainly hard to select just one. So here are 10!
- Grow your understanding of communications: You’ll expand your understanding of the communications profession just by spending time with your fellow volunteers. IABC/BC volunteers are communications experts with a range of diverse skills in communications and marketing. You’ll learn a lot about how to be a better communicator just by spending time with them.
- Learn a new skill: A great reason to volunteer is to pick an area of communications or marketing you don’t currently have on your resume. It’s one of the best ways to round out your existing skill set. Ever planned an event from start to finish or presented at an event? Choose something you’ve never done before.
- Meet professionals outside of your network: It’s hard to expand your business network if you don’t meet folks outside of your current organization. IABC/BC has more than 50 volunteers so it’s like meeting an entire company made up of only communications professionals!
- Have fun! This is obvious but really worth saying. Working on events, initiatives or just meeting up to have a glass of wine with talented communicators has always been fun in my experience. *Trade secret: Communicators are rarely at a loss for words. 😉
- Instant access: Gain exposure to communicators at all stages of their careers: IABC/BC attracts recent graduates, mid-level professionals and experienced directors. By volunteering, you instantly gain access to all three!
- Flexibility: Volunteer a little or volunteer a lot — with IABC/BC you can take on a board position, portfolio manager, write blog posts, or just help out at an event. It’s flexible, you can choose your level of commitment and talk over your number of hours with your board member. Whether its one hour a month or two hours a week, we can find the right opportunity that works for you.
- Spark discussion: Share learnings from the events you attend with your colleagues – your newfound insights will be appreciated and could spark further discussion and understanding.
- Ramp up your LinkedIn circle of influence: You never know where your next career move will take you, and meeting communicators from across B.C. is a great way to make valuable career connections that could lead to your next exciting opportunity.
- Grow lasting relationships: Foster career-long relationships with leading communicators whom you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to work with, learn from, or meet.
- Give back to your community: IABC/BC wouldn’t exist without volunteers! In the spirit of giving, it’s a meaningful gift to your profession, our industry needs experts like you to learn from.
