Millennials Want Leadership Roles

Jun 21 2012 Published by under Aleah R.

If you’ve ever been called an “emerging leader,” you may wonder the same thing as I have – when will I stop being “emerging” and be looked at as a leader? We have knowledge, background and passion for the work that we do and causes we support. What’s more, we probably even have experience volunteering in the front lines for organizations. Yet the leadership opportunities for millennials are sparse. According to the recent Millennial Impact Report, 77 percent of millennials are interested in leadership positions, but only 20 percent currently sit on boards or committees. So where’s the disconnect? Millennials say the top two reasons for not taking a more active leadership role is not having enough time and never being asked.

What is your experience? Have you been asked to take on a leadership position? What are other barriers that you face when it comes to leadership?

 

 

4 responses so far

Adding Volunteer Work to Your Resume

Feb 23 2012 Published by under Sarah B. 

by Sarah B.

Millennials on the job hunt face all kinds of tough requirements.  Some entry level jobs want you to have years of experience, professional references, and more.  What do you do if your employment history is mostly made up of the retail or serving jobs you held to pay your bills in college?  Maybe you have a few years of work experience under your belt, but the only good reference you have is your current boss.  What if you’ve been unemployed recently?  Consider the work you may have done where you never received a paycheck.   If your volunteer work isn’t on your resume, it’s time to add it!  (You can even add a section to your LinkedIn profile.) Employers are still interested in the quality of the projects you completed as a volunteer, even if you never got paid.  Volunteering shows a commitment to the wellbeing of others, concern for your community, and can demonstrate that you are a reliable and dependable individual.  In some cases, it might demonstrate that you have good communication or management skills.  A volunteer supervisor could even be a great person to ask for a professional reference.

Here’s what volunteer experience looks like on my LinkedIn profile:

Here are some hints for making your volunteer work valuable to employers:

Add only volunteer work which demonstrates a significant commitment and/or highlights your skills.
Think about what you want employers to know about you from looking at your resume.  Add work you did for a length of time that shows you’re a committed worker (six months or more).  Only add short-term project-based assignments if you used skills that might transfer to your job.  (For example, have you gone to another country to teach English? This might show you can work with a diverse group of people.) Skip the charity walks, street cleanups, or other one day events unless you went above and beyond as a fundraiser or organizer.

Describe your unpaid work the same way you describe your paid experience.
Make a clear section of your resume for volunteer work, so you can use titles such as tutor, mentor, or staff assistant.  Describe your work using the same kind of action words used in your paid work.  Think about using words that describe the skills you want the employer to know that you have: managed, created, built, organized, and coordinated are all good transferable skill words to use.  Make note of any special accomplishments that you can quantify such as amount of money raised, number of students tutored, or number of houses built.

Don’t include volunteer work which might reveal personal information.
If your volunteer work is primarily affiliated with a religious or political group or with a group which might identify your race, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristic, consider using neutral language to describe your contributions.  Focus on your job title and skills, not on your connection to the organization.  You may consider omitting this affiliation on your resume and simply describing your contributions during an interview instead.

Talk about your volunteer work during an interview.
Ever been stumped when you’re asked to tell an interviewer “about a time when…”?  Think about your volunteer experiences.  Volunteers handle stressful situations, work in groups, connect with people who are different from them, and manage their time.  Chances are, you probably have some great stories that will show off your skills to an employer!

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To learn more from and connect with Sarah, follow her on Twitter – @SarahKathleen
You can also follow the entire Millennial Chat team here.
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How do you portray your volunteer experience on your resume?  Has volunteering ever helped you get a job?

 

9 responses so far

Leader Tomorrow? Work on These Skills Today

Jan 23 2012 Published by under Lowell A. 

by Lowell A.

Whether you are involved in a volunteer position today or hope to be a CEO or President in the future, there is no time like the present to start working on developing useful leadership skills.  Each of us have our strengths and areas where we could grow – so whether these are areas where you already shine or have never tried, take some time to think for yourself – what could I do today that will help me gain some new skills…

Public Speaking – How do you feel presenting in front of 5 people?  How about 50? 500?  If you would rather write a 100 page report than speak in front of an audience, this may be the undertaking for you.  While I have spoken to colleagues that say great things about toastmasters I have never tried attending a meeting.  Instead, I have accepted any speaking opportunity that was provided to me – whether at work or in my volunteer life.  Was it always comfortable? No.  Has it become easier over time? Yes.  (And as for that whole picture everyone in the room in their underwear theory – let me know how that works for you – has always just seemed weird to me.)

PowerPoint Does Not Kill

flickr photo by cogdogblog

Give AWESOME Presentations – For most of us, the longer we work and the higher position we attain, being able to give engaging and effective presentations will loom larger in our roles.  So what not to do?  There was a great video posted on youtube – if anyone has the link please post it in the comments below (the link I had makes it seem it was taken down).  Some top points though – don’t make your slides copy heavy and then read from them, don’t include obscure quotes that have little to do with your topics.  While new presentations tools are developed every day (trying pinterest anyone?) as long as you use powerpoint, remember you are the one presenting, not your powerpoint.

Find your Passion – The best leaders are those who care about the cause they lead.  What speaks to your heart?  When you run into a difficult situation, what will keep your fire burning to fuel you onward?  When we can connect our professional and volunteer obligations to our personal passions, those are the times that success becomes more than something to check off of our to-do list.

Meet your Fellow Leaders Today – Do you already know the field where you want a career?  Don’t wait for professionals to find you – go meet them.  Join the LinkedIn pages and participate in any weekly twitter chats.   Share your thoughts and engage professionals in the field in discussion (and if you get a response, add them as a contact on LinkedIn!).  Is there a chapter in your area from the profession’s association?  Go to a meeting and network.  These are your mentors and colleagues, references and friends – the more people you know, the more people you can help, the more that will think of you in kind.

There is no point when any of us are done becoming a leader – start building the foundation of your skills today for a lifetime of growth, development and success.

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To learn more from or connect with Lowell, follow him on Twitter — @Lowellmatthew
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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What have you done lately to better your leadership skills?
Have you learned how to be a leader from POOR leadership?
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10 Ways to Make a Difference by Sunday

Jan 20 2012 Published by under Larkin G. 

by Larkin G.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Many are inspired to volunteer during the holidays. But needs are not one-day events. They are ever present and on going. True service is year-round. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., one of history’s most inspiring servant leaders, here are 10 ways you can make a difference by the end of the weekend. The only question is, will you?

10 Ways to Make a Difference Before Sunday

1. Use your voice: Find a local nonprofit on twitter and RT their posts. Free tools like Twitter are a critical way that nonprofits, especially local ones, spread the word to their supporters.
• Action Tips: Use Search.twitter. It can help you find nonprofits to follow. Use the terms nonprofit and your city name.

2. Pro-bono work: Nonprofits do a lot of good with few resources. They always need skilled volunteer help. Are you a CPA? Offer to help with finances. Do you take great photos? Offer to take pictures at an event. Not sure what to help with? Find a charity and visit with their Volunteer Coordinator, they will find the perfect place for you. I always did.
• Action tips: Visit Charity Navigator to find a nonprofit in your area that can use your help

3. Turn passion into action: Passionate about a cause? Find a local organization that’s working on it and get involved today.
• Action Tip: Websites Volunteer Match and All for Good will match your area of interest and location with a nonprofit

4. Clean out your house! Donate the winter clothes you haven’t worn to a local homeless shelter. If you didn’t wear it last winter and haven’t this winter, you’re not gonna, so give it to someone who will appreciate it.
• Action Tips: Search Volunteer Match

5. Collect: Work in an office? Hold a food drive. Just put a box in a common area to collect caned goods and drop them off at a local shelter or food pantry. November and December are great months for nonprofits because everyone is extremely generous during the holidays but nonprofits experience a huge drop off in donations during January and February.
• Action Tips: Find food bank in your area here

6. Charity starts at home: Brighten your co-workers day. Get up a bit early and stop in at your local coffee/donut shop and pick up donuts for the office.
• Action Tip: Obviously if you work at a mega corporation, this would be mega pricey. If that’s the case just grab donuts for your cubby buddy or the team you work with.

7. Donate: There is no such thing as a small donation. Your $10 combines with someone else’s $10, and another person’s $5, and so forth. That is how change happens.
• Action Tips: Visit Charity Navigator’s donation guide for smart donation strategies. You can also look up nonprofits and make sure they are in good standing with the IRS.

8. Get your company involved! Set up a day of service for your office. (OK this may take longer to set up but its still worthwhile)
• Action Tips: Websites like Causecast can help you set up and manage workplace volunteering.
• Another option is contacting your local United Way or HandsOn Network. Both organizations have experience setting up large volunteer days and can recommend nonprofits that need volunteers.

9. Micro-Volunteering: Love all things technology? Think you don’t have the time to volunteer? Try micro-volunteering!
• Action Tips: Sites like Sparked take in projects that can be completed collaboratively and entirely online. They break up these large projects into separate tasks that can be completed by different individuals. The organizations get their work done much more efficiently.

10. ….Your turn! How will YOU make a difference before this Sunday?

My personal philosophy is to never ask someone to do something unless I’m willing to do it myself. Here are some of the ways I’m inspired to serve in my local community:

Making Faces: Junior League Volunteer Day at a local elementary school

Hard labor! Painting at a local group home

Using my skills! Mingling at a local YP event, where I served on the board of directors

 

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To learn more from or connect with Larkin, follow her on Twitter — @LarkinGrant
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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If it wasn’t a New Year Resolution already, how did MLK Day change your outlook on volunteering?
Let’s keep adding to this list… comment below… maybe we can get 100 ways to make a difference by 2013?
Join the discussion… hit up our Facebook page or join us on Twitter!

One response so far

Resolving to Do Good- Will You Volunteer in 2012?

Dec 21 2011 Published by under Sarah B. 

by Sarah B.

As the holidays approach, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ve accomplished this year.

Did you get a job?  Graduate?  Move to a new city?

Byrd Theater New Years Ball

The Ball Drop flickr photo by Gamma Man

It’s time to celebrate what we’ve done and decide what we’ll do next.  It’s time for New Year’s resolutions.  Volunteering is one of the most popular resolutions and for good reason.  Volunteering benefits your community, and it can even be good for your health.  If you’ve decided you want to add service to your life in 2012, you’ll want to read more of my Millennial Chat posts in the upcoming year.  But to make sure your commitment to volunteering doesn’t end up like that unused yoga class Groupon from last year (you know exactly which one I mean), ask yourself these questions:

Why am I motivated to volunteer?

Many Millennials will tell you that they want to volunteer in order to meet new people or because they want to gain new skills.  While these are great advantages to volunteering, a recent study shows that service will benefit you the most when your motivation is to help others.  Look around your community.  What do you feel passionate about? How can you help others the most?  Your resolution will stick if someone else is really counting on you.

How much time do I have to volunteer?

Once you’ve discovered your motivation, you’re probably going to feel very inspired to start helping out as much as you can!  A group is planting trees next weekend?  You’re there.  A homeless child needs tutoring?  Sign you up.  The animal shelter is hosting a fundraiser?  You love puppies.  WAIT.  Before you overcommit, decide how much time you have for volunteering.  Do you have time once a week?  Twice a month?  Maybe you’d like to explore micro-volunteering at home from your iPad.  You’re more likely to follow through with your commitment if it fits into your schedule.

Would I rather write a check?

While service can be a very rewarding resolution, maybe there are other goals that you’d like to put at the top of your list this year.  If you decide that you can’t commit your time, explore your giving options.  Millennials are pretty generous people, and you don’t need a lot of money to make a difference.  Want to make a philanthropic resolution?  Resolve to become a monthly donor for an organization you care about, at whatever level works for you.

Where does volunteering fit into your list of resolutions?

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To learn more from and connect with Sarah, follow her on Twitter – @SarahKathleen
You can also follow the rest of The Millennial Chat Team here.
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3 responses so far