Across the Desk: Volunetworking

Have you ever wanted to attend a conference or event but the cost didn't work for you? Either what you would get out of the conference wasn't worth the price or your budget just wouldn't allow it? Consider volunetworking. Just about every large scale event you can think of depends on volunteers. Hiring staff to man all the areas of an event makes the budget near impossible to maintain and takes away from other things you could be offering. I guarantee you that event organizers are interested in getting free help. But the difference? How you treat the experience. If you decide to reach out and create an opportunity, make the most of it. Be willing to go the extra mile if needed. Somebody else cancelled? Pick up the slack. Don't have your own business cards? Make sure you collect from everyone you meet and then connect on LinkedIn with a personal message that includes how you met. Make sure that you keep your social media posts professional and to a minimum. Check in at the location, a quick "it's great to be here" and a photo. Maybe one or two during the day while on a break. Add the event to the project section of your LinkedIn profile. And follow up with the organizers after thanking them for the experience! There's a lot more ways to make an event work for you but the best is to remember to provide value to the organizers!