Feel like your professional life could use a boost? If you’re looking for your next big career move, you might want to consider joining a board of directors.
Whether it’s with a corporation, or with a non-profit, joining a board provides opportunities for professional and personal growth. Holding a seat on a board does take effort, and you’ll have to add an event or two to your calendar, but the payoff is worth the extra work.
Here are 5 reasons joining a board is an asset to your career legacy:
#1 – An opportunity to grow and strengthen your professional network
Joining a board allows you to make meaningful connections with professionals in your field. You’ll be face to face with well-connected, influential people with similar goals and values, so take advantage of it.
As important as first impressions are, don’t stop with one conversation. Set up casual meet-ups to share information and have deeper, more personal connections.
Brenda Arbelaez, CEO and founder of PALS International, a global business that specializes in language instruction, spoke about the benefits of joining a local board.
Brenda states, “You meet people, and it’s beautiful how many people remember you. You just don’t know who you’re going to meet that will help you later on.” Brenda is also a member of Global Ties Detroit, an organization that strives to connect Detroit businesses with global leaders.
#2 – Gain knowledge or sharpen skills within your field
Joining a board can add new skills to your resume or sharpen the skills you already have. You’ll be able to develop your leadership skills, your communication skills, and learn how a company is managed on a deeper level.
#3 – Increased visibility
Sitting on a board puts you in front of a crowd of potential referrals and communicates that you are a reliable source. So, when your fellow professionals are in need of a service you can provide, your name will be at the top of their list.
Brenda says, “It’s like paying it forward, that’s the best way to put it. You have to be good to everyone and help. And somebody else will come back to you and do something for you.”
#4 – The chance to make your mark
Want to see change in your field? Joining a board is a great way to influence change and leave your mark, especially as a woman in business. You’ll be trusted to help make the big decisions around policy, and you’ll have the opportunity to make suggestions that could lead to real change.
Throughout her 40 years as a woman in business, Brenda says it’s always been her goal to help other women thrive by opening doors for the next generation. Joining a board could allow you to leave a legacy behind and pay it forward in a big way.
#5 – Supplement income/grow your financial profile
Sometimes joining a board means compensation, stock options, or getting in at the ground level of a new business or startup. So, if you’re looking to diversify, or for an investment opportunity, joining a board could offer options you may not have considered before.
If you’re feeling stuck and you’re looking for a way to go even further in your professional life, joining a board is a great place to start. You never know who you’re going to meet and what opportunities will come your way.
