Give and receive when you volunteer
Ken Pelczarski | TLT Career Coach May 2016
10 ways to derive personal satisfaction and career advancement.
STLE is the premier technical society with which to become a member, participate and volunteer.
WHAT IS THE REAL PURPOSE BEHIND VOLUNTEERING IN YOUR FIELD? I would describe it as giving something back to your profession by donating your time and talents to technical societies and other worthy organizations while at the same time receiving valuable career benefits. As a lubricant industry professional, STLE is the premier technical society with which to become a member, participate and volunteer.
What is the time commitment when you volunteer with STLE? It depends on the role, and you are able to select what role suits your schedule and interests.
What are your qualifications to volunteer with STLE? A specific skill set is not required, although your knowledge and talents may be better suited to some roles than others. You will learn on the job and your efforts will always be appreciated. In addition, you will not be fired if you make a mistake.
I am not preaching that everybody should volunteer for STLE. I realize there is only so much time in a day to fulfill our personal, family and work obligations, and we choose carefully how to spend our limited free time. In fact, I joke with my spouse that my favorite day of the year is when we turn our clocks back and gain an extra hour.
For current and past volunteers, I hope this article serves as a reminder of career benefits to be gained from volunteering. For those new to volunteering, I hope this article offers good reasons to try volunteering and then evaluate the level of satisfaction and career benefits you are receiving.
TOP TEN BENEFITS
1. Build relationships. Advancing your career over the long haul requires talent and hard work as well as consistent relationship building. When you volunteer in STLE, you will build relationships with individuals with whom you will potentially work, interact, con-duct business and network throughout much of your career. You will establish close business relation-ships and even personal friendships through your time working with other volunteers.
2. Network with fellow lubricant industry professionals. Serving with others on an STLE committee or board enables you to develop the kind of relationships that facilitate mutual assistance with business ideas and referrals, career guidance and job leads. You also might have discussions with fellow volunteers about industry news such as (1.) individuals changing jobs, (2.) companies expanding or opening new facilities, (3.) companies downsizing or (4.) companies introducing new technologies. These news items have the potential to benefit you either in your current job or in new job pursuits.
3. Gain recognition and visibility. Your volunteer efforts with STLE will be noticed and appreciated by many of your peers. You will be seen as somebody who is dedicated to the lubricants industry and who is willing to devote time for the benefit of the profession. Your talents and leadership capabilities are recognized, and you might stand out enough to earn local or national awards. In addition, the more you volunteer the more you will be viewed as a subject matter expert and thought leader in your field.
4. Enhance your skill set. You will have input in selecting what role you want to take on at STLE. You may choose a role that enhances a well-developed skill set or one that builds skills that are rusty or not fully developed. There are opportunities to (1.) manage or oversee finances (treasurer, trustee), (2.) lead others (committee or section chair) or (3.) speak formally in front of groups (monthly meeting speaker, annual meeting or conference presenter, Webinar presenter, education program speaker, etc.). Most volunteer roles offer the opportunity to enhance skills in report writing, project management and working with a team.
5. Bolster your resume. I would recommend that all volunteer roles, including church and community service—which involve a skill set necessary for career success—be listed on your resume and in your LinkedIn profile. A lengthy volunteer history listed on your resume is impressive in itself to most employers. Be sure to mention major accomplishments and awards that you have achieved in volunteer efforts.
6. Expand your reference list. Many fellow volunteers should get to know your work ethic and talents well enough to provide you with a reference in your career pursuits. They will be able to vouch for your ability to manage and complete projects, interact with and lead others and work successfully in a team environment.
7. Feel pride and satisfaction. You cannot help but feel good about giving something significant back to the industry that provided you with personal growth opportunities.
8. Increase knowledge of STLE operations and mission. Being involved with committee and board meetings as an STLE volunteer, whether local or national, gives you a deeper understanding of the mission of the organization, which is generally to serve the global lubricant industry and advance the science of tribology and lubrication engineering. You’ll develop a better grasp of the many ways STLE provides value to its members. You’ll also acquire an appreciation of how STLE operates at different levels, including how meetings are run and how decisions are made.
9. Influence STLE policies and programs. Depending upon your volunteer role with STLE, you may have significant input on items such as (1.) pricing for section meetings, education programs, technical conferences, individual and corporate STLE memberships and annual meetings, (2.) programs for attracting new members, (3.) selecting scholarship and award winners and (4.) golf outing or social outing venues. If you advance to the board level, you will have a direct role in determining the society’s goals, activities and programs.
10. Receive free perks. Although not career-related, free and subsidized perks are an additional benefit from volunteering. These perks are a bonus for your time and efforts. The STLE Chicago Section offers free dinner to committee members and officers at quarterly executive committee meetings. The section also offers gifts to monthly meeting speakers and a free monthly meeting dinner to education program presenters. You will find that meals, stipends and travel reimbursements are frequently offered in appreciation for many types of volunteer roles.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH STLE
Board of Directors (Elected Positions)
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Officers (treasurer, secretary, vice president, president and past president each with a one-year term)
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Director (three-year term, 18 elected board members in addition to the five officers; each director is assigned to one or more committees)
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Administrative committees (14 total)
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Certification committees (six total)
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Technical committees (18 total)
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Industry councils (three total).
Annual Meeting
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Program committee
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Technical session chair or vice chair
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Technical session speaker
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Education course committee
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Education course chair or vice chair
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Education course speaker
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Panel discussion participant
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STLE exhibit booth representative
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Certification exam proctor
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Student poster judge
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High-school student science experiment contributor.
Other Opportunities
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Tribology Frontiers Conference Planning Committee
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Tribology Frontiers Conference presenter
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Webinar presenter
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Publish an article
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Publish a regular column in TLT.
LOCAL SECTIONS
Opportunities listed here are available in STLE’s Chicago Section. Similar volunteer roles are available in other sections around the globe. The Chicago group is fortunate to have 30 executive committee members for the 2015-2016 program year, although we look for several new volunteers every year due to natural attrition.
Officer (Elected Positions)
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Secretary, treasurer, vice chair, chair, immediate past chair (each with one-year term)
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Trustee (two-year term).
Committee Chair or Co-chair
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Education
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Program
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Directory
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Careers in lubrication (scholarship, science fairs)
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Membership
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Outreach
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Media (photography, Website)
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Social outing
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Golf outing.
Other Opportunities
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Monthly meeting presenter
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Education program speaker
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Science fair judge.
If your work is focused in the lubricant industry, there is no better organization than STLE with which to volunteer. Depending upon the diversity and specialization of your background, other technical societies also may have suitable volunteer opportunities. These include ILMA, NLGI, ASTM International, the American Chemical Society, SAE International, SME and the Precision Metalforming Association.
My experience volunteering for more than 20 years with STLE has been highly satisfying and has benefited my career immensely. I hope you are able to find the time to volunteer with STLE and/or similar organizations, and reap the many resulting career benefits.
Ken Pelczarski is owner and founder of Pelichem Associates, a Chicago-based search firm established in 1985 and specializing in the lubricants industry. You can reach Ken at (630) 960-1940 or at pelichem@aol.com.