I spent a year job hunting trying to get out of the company I was working for to pursue something new. Job hunting was ego-crushing. I hired someone to build my resume, networked with friends and former co-workers, filled out numerous job applications, and didn’t get any job offers. It was a dark time of being at a job I no longer loved and dealing with rejection regularly. I had ideas of things I wanted to do but I couldn’t figure out how I could make a living doing any of them. I just had the desire to do them. I wanted to work for a dog rescue and host a fundraiser for rescue dogs. I wanted to teach exercise to seniors. These ideas would come up and the first thing I would think was how are you going to make a living doing these things? I had to give up the idea that I was going to make a career out of my ideas and do them because I had the desire to pursue them.
On a trail run a thought bubbled up create your own opportunities. Don’t wait for others to give you a job. You know what you’re good at and what brings you joy so go do it. While I had a job that I wasn’t happy in, I could do other things that brought me joy and fulfillment.
At a coffee shop one morning, after being fully caffeinated, I contacted organizations that I thought I could contribute to. I reached out to a senior living center and told them that I would be interested in teaching a mobility class to their seniors as a volunteer. I reached out to a local senior center and told them I could teach weight training classes to seniors. I was teaching cycling classes at a cycle studio and told the owner about my idea to do a Pedal for Puppies event that would be a cycling class fundraiser for a local dog rescue. I reached out to a local dog rescue and offered to do some community awareness events. It served as a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow rescue dog lovers. I took the action to reach out and make these things happen. I didn’t need the money. I care about rescue dogs and senior’s health so why did I need to wait and go through a job application process hoping that someone would pick me when I could go out and volunteer my time? The value was in feeding my desires which was more important than the paycheck. The takeaways I got from this experience were:
Volunteering is flexible. I’ve heard the advice that as a professional we should value ourselves and not be afraid to charge an organization for our time and skills. There’s certainly a place for “being expensive.” There’s also a place of wanting to contribute and not requiring a paycheck to stand between you and your desire to help others. I chose to volunteer for flexibility. I told the organizations when I would be traveling and would teach when my scheduled allowed.
Create a job instead of signing up for a job. I took control of the jobs I volunteered for. I contacted the organization and told them this is what I can do for you. It’s about understanding what their needs are and how you can fit in. Just because a place has a list of jobs for volunteers, it doesn’t mean you can’t offer to do something that’s outside the list of volunteer activities. Be different. Offer to do something that uses your skills and abilities.
Experience is the paycheck. Volunteering has been a way to use my creativity and strengths that I don’t get to use at my full-time job. It’s fulfilling to see the people I’m helping.
Volunteering as a social outlet. Volunteering has allowed me to meet people that care about the same causes I care about. I work remotely so volunteering has been a way to socialize and get face time with people that I don’t get with my full-time job.
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