Mining Your Experience for Career Gold
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Presentation outlining how you can use existing service and activities from outside work to advance your career.
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Mining Your Experience for Career Gold
- 1. Mining Your Experience for Career Go Todd DeLuca @TechCommTodd
- 2. About the Speaker • Master’s Degree in Tech Comm • Technical Communicator for 15 Years (Software Development) • Manage team of Tech Writers • Active STC Volunteer - Presenter & Speaker - Past Chapter President (Philadelphia Metro)
- 3. What is Volunteering ? • Helping out or stepping forward to assist. • A promise that is a commitment when initiated. • Completed promise fulfills commitment and builds trust. Result is contribution to a greater good, which is recognized by others and leaves a positive impression.
- 4. Where Can You Climb? Volunteer Opportunities • Charitable groups • Professional society • Church • School • Sports • Clubs • Work
- 5. What Can You Offer ? • Time = Stand in for others (temporary fill in) • Effort = Extra pair of hands (more horsepower) • Information = Share knowledge (document info) • Expertise = Skills and experience (mentor or train)
- 6. What are Some Steps ? Sample Volunteer Activities • Fund raising • Proposal writing • Event promotion • Leadership • Community outreach • Social committees • Email marketing • Blogging and Website Help • Client engagement
- 7. What can you learn ? Sample Volunteer Skills • Leadership • Project Management • Event Management • Marketing and Promotion Learn in a ‘safe’ environment while others assist, provide guidance, and share their own experiences.
- 8. Rewards & Benefits • Meet new people = relationships and friendships • Greater exposure = recognition at work or in community • Skills and experience = career options and advancement • Satisfaction = it feels good to help, learn, or grow
- 9. Risks Things to Consider • Unfamiliarity (Others will help you) • Losing focus (Prioritize your day job) • Not having experience (You’ll learn on the job) • Meeting expectations (People are glad to have you) • Overcommitting (Sign up for what you can handle)
- 10. How Do You Start ? Steps to Begin • Raise your hand • Step forward • Ask ‘Can I Help? • Say ‘Yes’ • Look for opportunities • Just do it! Note: The percentage of people who actively participate is low, so just by volunteering you’ve already set yourself apart.
- 11. Tips and Suggestions Record Your Activities • Add ‘Volunteering’ to resume • Update LinkedIn Profile • Add Projects • Add Summaries • Add ‘Volunteer and Causes’ section Share Your Accomplishments - Let others know you’re involved - Spread word on social media to help the groups and causes you care about and support
- 12. Examples STC or Club Activities • Chapter work (as contributor, co-chair or leader) • Speaking work • Committee involvement • Promotion work • Event help • Social media or website support Charitable Activities or Hobbies - Fund raising - Photography
- 13. Thank You ! Contact Info @TechCommTodd TechCommTodd@gmail.com Techcommtodd.tumblr.com
Editor's Notes
- I’ve been in the technical communication field for almost 15 years. I have a Master’s degree in Technical Communication working as a senior-level technical writer and recently became manager of a Technical Communications team and credit much of the promotion to my volunteer efforts. My volunteer pursuits outside of work have been primarily with the Society for Technical Communication (STC) where I eventually became Vice President and then President of the local Philadelphia Metro chapter. I am now a semi-retired chapter volunteer and share my experiences through speaking to help others, build my network, and pave my own professional development path. That’s how I’ve climbed the ladder.
- When you think of volunteering, you may think about ‘helping out’ or stepping forward to assist. I see volunteering as an offer to help (a promise), which becomes a commitment when initiated. When completed, the commitment fulfills that promise and builds trust (a valuable commodity). In the end, the result is a contribution to a greater good, which is recognized by others and leaves a positive impression. That’s helpful when you try to move on to bigger or better things.
- There are different places and opportunities to volunteer: charity organizations, professional society, church, school, sports, work Can you name some other volunteer opportunities?
- Time = Stand in for others (temporary fill in) Effort = Extra pair of hands (add more horsepower to a project) Information = Share what you know (document insider info) Expertise = Pass along skills and experience (mentor and train) What other kinds of things can you volunteer?
- What are some specific volunteer activities? fund raising, proposal writing, event promotion, leadership, community outreach, social committees email marketing, client engagement What are some things you’ve done or learned while volunteering that you could apply towards your career?
- Some sample Volunteer Skills Leadership Project Management or Event Management Marketing and Promotion These are just some of the skills you can learn and ‘practice’. In many cases, you’ll learn in a ‘safe’ environment while others assist, provide guidance, and share their own experience. If you’re a new volunteer, you’re not typically expected to understand and know what to do right away (there’s opportunity to learn and practice on the job). The STC is a great organization and a good place to learn and practice all of these skills.
- Meet new people = range of relationships and friendships, a wider network of people you can access and reach out to for assistance Greater exposure = wider recognition at work or in community Skills and experience = career options and advancement Satisfaction = it feels good to help, learn, or grow This can lead to am improved, positive reputation and give you the confidence needed to demonstrate to others that your ready to take the next career step.
- Some examples of risk or things to consider (why you might not want to): Unfamiliar people or organization Losing focus from main job or work Not having the required skills or experience Worry about meeting expectations Committing too much time or effort People are happy to have your help or support. Even if it isn’t the right fit, you’ll learn something about yourself and pick up valuable experience.
- Some simple steps to begin (it’s easy): Raise your hand Step forward Say ‘Yes’ Just do it! Keep this in mind: The percentage of people who actively participate is low, so just by volunteering you already begin to set yourself apart.
- Some simple steps to begin (it’s easy): Raise your hand Step forward Say ‘Yes’ Just do it! Keep this in mind: The percentage of people who actively participate is low, so just by volunteering you already begin to set yourself apart.
- Some simple steps to begin (it’s easy): Raise your hand Step forward Say ‘Yes’ Just do it! Keep this in mind: The percentage of people who actively participate is low, so just by volunteering you already begin to set yourself apart.
- Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes. And give me feedback so I can improve, please. Share your volunteer stories and experiences with me so that I can learn and pass along more examples to future audiences. I want to share your successes with others.