And there’s absolutely nothing selfish about that.
The most common response I hear when I tell people I work a four day a week job so I can do one day of pro bono work is ‘oh you’re so good’.
I really don’t see myself as particularly good.
I enjoy the pro bono work I get to do and it has led to so many fantastic career opportunities for me, from freelancing gigs to speaking opportunities. Pro bono projects nearly always push me out of my comfort zone and enable me to skill up and grow. My first pro bono experience was running research groups with young women for a female empowerment charity, The Girls Network. I’d only ever watched moderators run focus groups, that was the first time I got to try it myself. I discovered not only that I loved it, but also that I was good at it.
More recently I’ve agreed to work with the fitness organisation Fighting Fit for Cancer to develop their business plan for the next few years. Again, I’ve been involved in projects like that, but I’ve never been the one leading the workshops and output. So that’s a huge and exciting learning opportunity for me (I know, I’m lame, I get excited by weird things). My pro bono work with the Fair Education Alliance, which now spans five years, has led to some low-bono work as a freelance workshop facilitator (low-bono is offering your services at a reduced cost). Never having worked for myself before, and with no clue how to even cost things that was a total adventure and a steep learning curve!
There are two really transformational things that have come out of all the pro bono work I’ve done. The first is, rather cheesy but true, the people I’ve met. Those working in the world of social good are, phenomenal people. Kind of obvious when you say it but I’ve been blown away by both the openness of the community and the drive many have. People support each other and provide each other with resources and advice. They recommend you to other similar organisations. It is a powerful network to be part of, and can even lead to paid work or a new job if you decide to make the hop into the for good sector.
People working in the not for profit sector are all phenomenally talented and dedicated individuals. They care about something enough to make it their life's work. That's pretty damn inspiring.
The second is that the work I did with charities made me love my job more. I could see how branding and marketing could be used to better communicate the fantastic impact these organisations made, generate more income and grow. Ultimately it was helping them do more good in the world. As someone who was genuinely considering giving it all up and becoming a social worker / paramedic / something that made me feel like a more decent human, that was quite the turn-around. And that reinvigoration meant I stopped thinking “I hate my job” and “I’m in the wrong career” to things like “I’m so lucky to have a career I love” and “where next”. The "where next" thoughts have brought me to where I am today, working solely in sustainability and social impact communications, with one day a week to work with any organisation on a pro bono basis.
Maybe there is a skill you want to gain, but there’s no upcoming opportunity for you at your work. Or perhaps you want to move into a new area but need experience to put on your CV. Or is there a part of your job that you love but don’t get to do as much of it as you would like? Pro bono experiences could meet any of those needs, and as I explain in this article, whatever skill you want to develop, there will be a pro bono opportunity out there that matches it.
Think about your current job and career ambitions:
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