Volunteer your time as a mentor & community advocate
Kate McEvoy-Zdonczyk is vice president for business development at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, based out of its Worcester office.
I've heard it said before if you light a lamp for someone, you also brighten your own path – which immediately makes me think of the successes borne from mentoring relationships or volunteering your time and talents.
It seems that when you give of yourself without agenda or expectation, the value of those investments come back to you in a variety of ways, whether you are the one knocking on the door, or the one opening it. After many years in this marketplace, I have to agree that this principle is absolutely true here in Central Massachusetts.
Part of that probably comes from the size of our business community – big enough to have opportunity for meaningful growth, small enough to access opportunities, and familiar enough to foster great networks in all areas of industry and stages of career success.
We're naturally set-up with an environment conducive to keeping the talent pipeline full of people at all levels of skill set and career achievement: Students and those just starting down their path; folks who are steadily working their way through their journey; and those who are sitting at the top. All this, complimented by world-class leaders and veritable captains of industry – all just one or two contacts away.
And this is why, in our smaller-than-some-but-mightier-than-many marketplace, it benefits us all to keep our doors open for those seeking our counsel, and never be afraid to knock on the door of someone who might aid us in personal and career success.
These opportunities don't have to rely on personal relationships. In am area rich with nonprofits, great events and projects, the prospect of learning a new skill set exists in abundance.
• Want to learn event planning? Give your time to help a gala event, road race or neighborhood festival.
• Want to hone your skills in public relations or marketing? Work with the animal shelter or food pantry to raise awareness of the good work they do and the needs they have to meet.
• Not sure what you want to do, but have a passion for a role or industry? Reach out to those you admire, invite them for coffee, pick their brains and not only might you end up with a richer understanding, you may just have a key contact.
The great statesman Tip O'Neill once said all politics is local. Here in Central Massachusetts, we are fortunate most business is local. That gives us an opportunity to take advantage. Simply put, the support we give to our community will come back to us by making ourselves – and our marketplace – stronger and more vibrant.
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