job search = volunteer

Many moons ago when I was an academic advisor to graduate students I would often be asked, "what is the best way to get in the door of a good company or a desirable sector?"

My answer was always the same - volunteer. Volunteer avidly. If you know what you want to do, offer to help an organization doing it. If you do a good job they might keep you around, or someone else might snatch you up. It worked for me and I have watched it work for others.

Fast forward to the present and I am looking for a job in a part of the country where I do not have a strong professional network. I am taking my own advice and volunteering.

So far it has put me in touch with many organizations doing the kind of work I am interested in doing. Maybe it will lead to a paying role somewhere? If nothing else, it is something productive to add to my resume so I can explain what I was doing between jobs.

Just Sheri, an advocate for volunteering