Volunteer Story
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
We caught up with Pam, now working in the role of Individual Giving Officer at Calgary Opera, looking to gain some insights from her on volunteerism and how it can significantly impact your career.
Pam’s introduction to volunteering came when she was raising her kids, looking for an outing where she could learn some new parenting techniques and do some good at the same time. At a local women’s resource centre, Pam took a six-week course and discovered that in addition to the educational benefit, she liked having a time where she could get out and be with adults. It turns out that the centre was looking for volunteer facilitators, and Pam was keenly interested. This began her lifelong relationship with volunteering, which has taken her to several roles in different organizations. From Volunteer Facilitator to a paid Coordinator role, to Executive Director, volunteering taught Pam new skills and helped her gain confidence. She learned program and meeting planning, communication skills, financial and time management. As Pam went through her career, she was able to draw on the hands-on skills she gleaned from volunteerism, to meet the needs in many roles. It also opened new networks for her. When she moved to Alberta, she was able to look for opportunities that utilized this specific experience.
“I learned just how important volunteerism can be to your career path”, Pam shares. “In fact, it was fundamental to my own career development in the non-profit sector”. Volunteering exposed me to different experiences I might not have been able to access otherwise,” she says. “If you’re heading out of school, or just looking again, I’d encourage you to spend some time looking at opportunities through volunteerism. This along with networking with organizations will give you a springboard, whatever age or stage you are in.”
Pam shares that giving of your time can be good for mental health. Doing something outside yourself, being of service is an all-around good. It can teach you empathy for other people and patience and become a very fulfilling experience.
Are you looking for volunteer opportunities? There are many sources out there with listings, and here is one of them.
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