Wall Street Journal: Hobbies Help at the Job

July 25, 2010 – Wall Street Journal – Dennis Nishi – USA

The training budget may have been slashed, but you don’t have to wait for a complete economic recovery to get ahead. You can turn other parts of your life, including any volunteerism, into applicable work experience that can be used to enhance your current career or even start a new one.

Volunteering your time also is a safe way to explore different job possibilities, says Carol Ross, an executive coach in Denver. You can try out different roles and find out what you’re good at. Because it’s a nonwork environment, and thus the stakes are lower, it’s a good way to build confidence.

The first thing you should do is determine whether anything that you’ve done outside of work can be applied to your professional life. Or find something that interests you. Your company may already support a roster of charities that you can volunteer for.

Whatever activity you pursue should offer skills and experience that can relate to your work.

Answering phones during a fund-raiser probably won’t help you get that management job. But managing a call center of volunteers during a fund-raiser is something you should mention during a performance review or put on your résumé. Read more.