Supposedly Confucius once said, “The cautious seldom err.” If you sit back and go with the status quo, you’ll never learn and grow. You need to take a chance and put yourself out there to make the most of your career. Sure, you might stumble a bit but, in most cases, you’ll learn something—and that may lead to new opportunities.
Sometimes I’m asked: How can I move into a leadership role if I don’t have any experience? One great way is through volunteering. Getting involved, especially within your chapter, will provide you with new skills and can help open the door to leadership opportunities in SMPS and at your firm.
With your SMPS membership, there are many ways to go about it. You could:
- Join a chapter committee to gain new responsibilities
- Work on a regional conference to amp up your management skills
- Attend a program and bring ideas back to share at your firm
- Share with your boss new connections you made at a conference
Volunteering is like stepping stones along a path. We don’t always know how long the path is—but getting involved will put you in the right direction. And, I’ve seen it happen time and time again: Getting involved through volunteering helps professionals move into leadership roles.
I encourage you to reach out to your chapter board of directors and see how you can get involved. Once you have experience within your chapter, there’s only one way to move and that’s up.
Until next time,
Tina Myers, CAE
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
P.S. Do you know someone who would benefit from SMPS membership? Learn how you can earn an additional three months of membership by referring a friend who joins SMPS as a new member.
