How Your Volunteer Work Can Compliment Your Professional Work
By: Thomas O'Grady
Tags: Writers On Writing, Self Improvement, Writing Tips, Writer, Writing

How Your Volunteer Work Can Compliment Your Professional Work

Photo by Aditya Vyas on Unsplash

Up until 2017, I had written many reports for school and work, however, I did not consider this a qualification to call myself a writer. Fortunately, I embraced the process of developing my skills and had been complimented on my writing several times. Evidence of my ability to write effectively came from my spouse and the fact that throughout my graduate studies I had received some awards for my work that included research awards presented at conferences. Upon finishing my studies I had the distinction of receiving a distinguished dissertation nomination from my department for my efforts. Those writing endeavors were other aspects of my life though and I was not considering myself multi-dimensional enough to think of writing as an occupation. The writing that I was working on was a means to accomplish other undertakings and not a means of its own.

Focusing on other types of writing

This changed when I received my first freelancing gig to cover a health and fitness challenge. The process was simple in that I had to write an entertaining article, with a length of approximately 1250 words, and I would be paid a set amount for the article. Much of the leg work that was required to research and write the article I had already done on my own. This made the project even better. After submitting the first article I was asked to write again and the process continued relatively smoothly. In addition to picking up a paid freelancing writing opportunity, I was also asked to contribute, as a volunteer, to a club’s monthly newsletter. After a few months, I was able to settle into a nice routine that allowed me to continue writing a variety of articles for both outlets.

Increasing the breadth and depth of my writing coverage allowed me to sharpen my skills, and expect better quality from myself

A funny thing happened along the way. Both writing obligations became less of an obligation and more of an anticipated occurrence. With this attitude adjustment, I was able to shift the direction of the topics I covered to fit my interests and the necessities of the fitness magazine and club newsletter. The best part is that participating in these monthly writing activities increased my expectations of myself, provided me with more ideas, and sharpened my ability to write for the appropriate audience. Writing these shorter articles made me consider how this related to the writing I had done both academically and professionally and other ways that I could expand my writing.

One area-specific goal related to writing that I was determined to pursue was writing a book. To write a book that was valuable to readers, I needed to decide what topics I would cover. I came up with a list of things that I was interested in writing about and then determined suitable topics within my areas of interest that seemed suitable for a book. Instead of jumping right into writing a book, I decided a good way to gain experience would be to contribute to a book first.

An opportunity to collaborate on a book project

As luck would have it the universe provided me with the opportunity to gain experience writing a book. I had written several articles on health and fitness and a local organization was looking for help writing two guidebooks. Two articles that I had already written were related to each of the guidebooks. Participating in the first project provided me with the opportunity to expand one of my articles into a chapter within a trail guidebook. The chapter I was contributing to was about a long hiking trail that spanned the entire county. In addition to contributing to the guidebook, this project allowed me to research a topic I was interested in and allowed me to connect with a retired professor who was brimming with stories and experience.

The confidence I gained from participating in the writing of the first guidebook allowed me to dive head-on into the second book project. My involvement in this project was more substantial than the first. Specifically much more research was required because I was contributing to both the initial writing of some chapters and the revision of others that needed updating. One main objective of this project was to include details about trail accessibility for different nature preserves which required knowledge of trail measurement techniques. Due to COVID-19, I had little interaction with other people on the project, and visits to the preserve sites were delayed substantially. In late August the state deemed it safe (enough) to participate in small group activities. Although I was juggling several other important projects, including a full-time job, I felt this project was important in propelling my writing forward.

From paid freelancer to professional writer via a simple introduction at a meet and greet

In our first small group meeting to learn about the trail measurement techniques, we were introduced to each other by the project’s main lead. I was introduced as a professional writer who had been working on the drafts outlining each chapter of the guidebook. I had been paid for my writings in the past but now I had officially earned my Professional Writer badge through my hard work as a volunteer. On this project, I was wearing several hats including public health professional and researcher, and writer. While I was building my writing experience I was not expecting to be recognized as a professional writer for this project. It was an important lesson learned about your internal perception of yourself.

Wrapping things up with a short summary

Building your writing skills and diversifying your ability to learn new information will open up opportunities. Having confidence in those skills and abilities is important when pursuing projects outside your comfort zone. Considering yourself as a multi-dimensional person will allow you to honor different commitments, juggle your time accordingly, and continue to build your portfolio.