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We’re all busy. With work, families, and life in general, you might feel like every minute is accounted for. But volunteering offers so many benefits that you want to make some time to do it. Good news. As a project manager, you know a thing or two about fitting more into a schedule!

Help Others

When people hear “volunteering,” they usually think about helping others or giving back. That is volunteering’s primary purpose, whether you deliver aid during disasters; lend a hand at a botanic garden, zoo, food bank, hospital, or church; mentor colleagues; teach underprivileged youth; or ply your trade for a non-profit’s endeavours. Lots of people need help, and the organizations that help them need help, too. These days, having a job or having fun in retirement isn’t enough. People are searching for more purpose in their lives. Volunteering provides purpose.

Build Your Network/Social Circle

Networking is a big part of growing your career. People in your network can help you identify solutions, land your dream job in your current company, or hear about your next job somewhere else. To my fellow introverts, don’t panic. Networking doesn’t have to be schmoozing with people you don’t know or pitching higher-ups for your next promotion. When you volunteer, you meet like-minded people, which makes conversations and relationships easier to start. At the same time, the people you meet are often a diverse bunch. You never know what these relationships can lead to.

(Volunteering is also a great way to grow your social circle when your lifestyle doesn’t provide much chance of meeting people – for example, if you live up on a mountain like I do.)

Learn about Opportunities

There’s something about helping others that seems to bring opportunities to you. Those opportunities may come from unexpected sources and fortuitous coincidences because of your diverse, far-ranging network. That means, you don’t have to promote yourself (or can promote yourself less). For example, one day, you could be chatting with a fellow volunteer at a food bank about the work you do. A couple months later, that person could tell you that her company is looking for a project manager.

Gain Project Management Experience

I have authored project management courses in the LinkedIn Learning library, so a lot of people ask me how to get project management experience when companies want PMP-certified project managers. One of my tips: volunteer to manage projects. You don’t just walk in and say “Hey, I’m here to manage projects.” When you volunteer at an organization, you learn their objectives and spot their pain points. If you have a good idea for increasing their success or making things run more smoothly, talk to them about it. If they like the idea, offer to be the project manager who makes it happen. Chances are, you’ll get the assignment and the experience – which you can use when applying for a PMP certification or for your next job.

Expand Your Project Management Circle

If you’re a project manager or program manager -- or want to become one -- volunteering with an organization like PMI offers all of these benefits in one place. You will be helping others in their project management journey. You will meet fellow project managers, who could become knowledgeable resources or mentors. You also will meet other volunteers within the organization. These connections can be a treasure trove for project management opportunities. And you will learn so much more about project management: not only from attending meetings and conferences, but also by solidifying your knowledge by teaching others.

Here are links to volunteer opportunities with PMI and the PMI Mile-Hi chapter: https://www.pmi.org/membership/volunteer

https://pmimilehi.org/volunteer

My Volunteering Story

Everything I do today – work and play – stems from volunteer work I did decades ago. I volunteered for an organization that taught people how to invest. In 1998, I was self-employed and didn’t have much work due to the tech crash. I was teaching investment classes with training materials that weren’t very good. So I spent five weeks rewriting the materials, explaining topics simply, and aligning the PowerPoint presentation to the handouts. In 1999, a friend and former co-worker told me about an opportunity to write a Complete Idiot’s Guide about online personal finance and investing. When I spoke to the publisher, they wanted to see an example of my writing on that subject. I handed over my training materials and got the contract to write the book. That book contract led to more than 34 published books, hundreds of articles, 60-plus courses in the LinkedIn Learning library, dozens of consulting gigs, and the ability to take time off to have fun and travel.

About the Author: Bonnie Biafore

In addition to training courses and books, I offer project management tips and education through several online sources: my blog (http://www.bonniebiafore.com/blog/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonniebiafore/), weekly newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/bonnie-s-project-pointers-6767151075767197696/), and LinkedIn Learning (https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/bonnie-biafore).

Additional Resources

Interested in learning more about topics like this one? Check out upcoming events on our chapter calendar. Sign up for one of our upcoming meetings, roundtables, or workshops – a selection of which are virtual. Earn your PDUs through PMI Mile Hi Chapter!