Are you that person that answers the simply stated, “how are you today?” with “I’m so busy with a work project that I was hand picked to work on. I am always busy at work and that makes me productive despite the fact that I never have time for myself and the activities that I truly enjoy but it’s ok, I’m busy and productive”
A simple, “I’m great, how are you?” would have sufficed however if you are that person or you know of that person, I’m here to help!
So, you are filling your work plate to build your resume right? You want to have a laundry list of accomplishments ready for the moment when you get a LinkedIN notification. You want to be able to share your resume with friends when they need to see an example of a great resume. I get it. My only question, what are you sacrificing to make this resume picture perfect?
Time with family and friends? An investment in health & wellness? Building your community via volunteerism?
I know what you are thinking, who cares that you are sacrificing the list above for work tasks? None of those things will ever be shared on your resume, none of those things will help you advance your career.
Wrong. Very wrong.
- 92% of hiring managers believe __________________ expands an employee’s professional skill set
- 85% of hiring managers are willing to overlook resume pitfalls when an employee includes _________________ on a resume.
- 82% of hiring managers are more likely to choose a candidate with _______________ experience
- 80% of hiring managers believe _________________ is an effective way to boost leadership skills
Fill in the blanks: volunteering
I often share with people that Servant Leadership is important to finding my balance. The set of practices that I am committed to that build organizations and impact communities is vital to living a balanced not busy life. The icing on the cake is that in a recent Fast Company article there’s proof in the pudding that helping others also makes you a well rounded person in your personal and professional life.
Now let’s talk about the time commitment, how do you incorporate volunteerism into your already jam packed schedule?
- Find a collective group of people that are volunteering in your community and join them! I’m a fan of Junior League of Atlanta, Urban League of Greater Atlanta – Young Professionals, Hands on Atlanta and Habitat for Humanity
- Gather a group of friends that you planned to connect with and volunteer together
- Dedicate a specific day of the week, i.e Service Saturday and volunteer with family members
- Identify if there is an employee volunteerism program at work and sign up!
Volunteering with work colleagues at the Special Olympics of Georgia games
Still having a hard time finding the time? Consider volunteer time as vital as the time that you commit to other resume builders and that “busy” isn’t a skill set that impresses hiring managers.
“Volunteer work conveys three things: You’re well-rounded and compassionate, you have even more skills than the ones you use in your daily job, and you’re going to build the company’s reputation in your community.”~ Fast Company