Volunteering can be great for your professional development

It’s not why I started being a School Governor 10 years ago, but it has certainly provided many benefits. I am giving something back, which is important to me, through adding my own skills and experience and providing an external and independent view, but I gain plenty in return.

I’m a Governor at the Piggott School, and last week they held some careers events for the 6th form, which they do each year. Over two days I delivered six workshops on ‘Starting your own business’ and ‘CV writing skills’. Year 12 are a tough audience, and while I’ve been facilitating and delivering education for many years, doing this for a room of 16 and 17 year olds is a whole other experience. It was both hugely enjoyable and rewarding, and I’m fairly confident what I shared was helpful and well received

It was a great reminder to me of the benefits you can get from volunteering and how I continue to gain from being a school Governor.

🔶 How I benefit from volunteering as a school governor.

• I learn from different people of different backgrounds, both staff and other governors.

• My network is stronger for the new people I know and work alongside.

• I'm in a different environment, and I recognise there is much I don't know, which keeps me grounded.

• I learn from the different perspectives others bring.

• I learn new skills and sharpen others, governance, chairing meetings and teamwork are good examples.

🔷 How you could benefit from volunteering.

• You'll get to see how a different organisation operates and experience a difference sector.

• You can try working with new, and different groups of people.

• You can learn new skills and improve some existing ones.

• You can fill a knowledge or experience gap that might be tricky to do otherwise.

• You can learn from how others view problems and solve challenges.

• It will enhance your CV, and can even help you transition to a new career.

• It can increase your confidence.

Volunteering might not be the first thing you think of when you're considering professional development, but it is definitely worth trying.