Volunteering can be a very satisfying way to spend your time. You are able to help your community—and it can help your business as well.
LinkedIn’s new volunteer opportunities section provides executives a platform to showcase their volunteer spirit; this can be used to provide people who visit your profile with a more complete picture of who you are. With the selective use of important keywords, you can also make yourself more findable.
As this is a recent addition to LinkedIn, using this section now will provide you the added bonus of a little extra publicity. People who are investigating the new details — which includes editors and bloggers – are looking for examples of people who are using it. This might give you and your business additional exposure.
1. Volunteering says something about a person. If you are already involved with non-profit groups, you will lose nothing – and gain a lot – from adding them to your profile.
2. Give the organization recognition. When you add an association, non-profit or cause to your profile, you are promoting that organization and helping to spread the word about their mission.
3. Let non-profits know you are interested – and available. If you are not currently involved in any non-profits, but would like to be, you can let organizations know about your skills and your availability. This is also a great opportunity to add keywords to your profile.
4. Many options are available. You can offer to serve on a board, do pro-bono work, or simply volunteer.
5. Search for volunteer opportunities. If you want to peruse posted opportunities, LinkedIn provides a great search engine that allows you to look for something nearby or in your area of expertise.
As Reid Hoffman (founder and chairman of LinkedIn) states in his recent blog post, announcing the addition of volunteering to the website: “While busy professionals who love their current gigs may not necessarily be looking for a new position, these are often the very people who are most actively engaged in ‘meaningful searches’ – a volunteer opportunity that will enhance their life in ways beyond what their primary vocation provides.”
Volunteering allows you to contribute your talents to a cause you believe in. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s new Volunteer Opportunities Section to connect with worthwhile organizations and find new ways to give back.